If You Were the Only Girl in the World and I Were the Only Boy
by Lady Aurelia Crawley
Summary: Christmas Eve is fast approaching, which can only mean one thing...it's time for Charlie and Elsie to become Mr and Mrs Carson. What surprises await them? and What will the other staff say when they find out?
1. Chapter 1

**OK so I know it's April and a million miles away from Christmas, but as it's such a romantic time of the year I of course had to create a Christmas fic for their wedding. Thank you to those who have stuck by my stories and continue to provide me with feedback, it's always so much appreciated and keeps me going.**

This Christmas was going to be more special than any other Ella had ever had at Downton. It would be her first with Henry as his wife and Sybil's first with Tom and Mary's first with Matthew. But it was also an even bigger first, in Ella's eyes, for her and Elsie, as this would be their first Christmas as mother and daughter and by Christmas day she would have a new father to boot!

Their year of many firsts had been a very rocky one, to say the least, with plenty of turmoil, tears, tantrums and triumphs. Ella very much hoped that their new year and new decade would mean a completely fresh start with much happier events to come, but certainly there was one big event to come before hand, that she was most looking forward to; the wedding of Charlie and Elsie.

After her conversation with them both about their cottage and the money she was gifting them, she had then turned her attentions to their wedding day. She knew that they were so busy downstairs, that if she left it up to them, without a gentle push in the right direction, it would end up being another six months before they considered it again.

'So what is this idea you have had?' Elsie had said as she had stifled a giggle at the look of delight and excitement that had been on her daughter's face, as all three of them sat in Elsie's sitting room.

'Well, I thought that, seeing as we will be hosting the servants' ball on Christmas Eve this year, why don't you get married on Christmas Eve? Then you can come back here, the place will already be beautifully decorated, everyone will have lots to celebrate, especially me because it will all have been organised and carried out within a month, and I won't have to wait any longer!' She'd said, with one very long and very excitable breath.

'But won't Reverend Travis be rather busy Ella?' Elsie had replied with a raised eyebrow, a sure warning sign that she wasn't convinced by this idea.

'Well I already spoke to him, I didn't give him any specific details or anything, I just asked him a couple of questions and it turns out that he would be very happy to do a very small, very simple ceremony in the afternoon.' She'd explained and that was that. The next day Elsie and Charlie had gone into the village to speak with Reverend Travis themselves and he booked them in there and then and their bands were displayed immediately, which of course received no objections from anyone.

Ella was so delighted that she had persuaded them to be married on Christmas Eve, her favourite time of the year and now only three days away. By helping her mam to organise everything, she felt like she was giving something back to her, as her way of saying sorry for all of the torment that she felt Elsie had been put through because of her; not that she would ever actually voice that reasoning to anyone. She had told Elsie and Charlie that she wanted them to be happy and that their happiness, in turn would make her very happy.

The three of them were now sat together, at the end of their day, having a glass of wine left over from that night's dinner and talking about Elsie and Charlie's new house. Ever since Ella had told them that the renovations were finished they had started to buy a few material possessions and essentials, such as items for their bedroom and their kitchen.

'When do you intend to move in?' Ella asked as she took a few of the pins from her hair and allowed her long curvy waves to fall around her face and shoulders. Very few people ever got to see her this relaxed, but she felt so at home with Elsie and Charlie, that she often felt comfortable to be herself and not have to worry about her appearance.

'We thought we would wait until after the New Year; we should have everything we need by then.' Charlie replied with a contented smile as his soon to be wife and daughter.

'This place will seem so very strange without you in it, but I'm very glad that you're not retiring…well, not yet anyway.' Ella said with a grin. Although the cottage had been her idea and was only a mile or so away from Downton Abbey, she was still going to miss being so close to her mam; but as soon as she thought about how strange it would be not have her mam immediately on hand every day, she reminded herself about their time together in London and how free the three of them were together. This would be exactly as it would be in their new cottage, their own little sanctuary, away from prying eyes, and that thought did appease Ella's anxieties and made her think that her slight sacrifice would be worth it.

Charlie and Elsie had spoken, in great detail, about their future together and what they wanted once they were husband and wife. With the gift Ella had given them they could now, very easily, afford to retire without ever having any concerns about money; but Elsie couldn't get used to the idea of being so far away from her daughter.

Although, in a way, she had spent so many years separated from her Ella, she had still always been a part of her life. She had always been able to sneak a glance at her or feign an excuse to talk to her; but now, even though Ella knew the truth and they'd formed this beautifully close bond, Elsie worried that being away from Downton might make things harder for them and not easier, as Ella intended, and Charlie didn't want that for either of them.

Elsie also considered her future as a grandmother, when it eventually happened, and wanted to be a huge part of her grandchildren's lives, which was what Ella wanted; but if Charlie and Elsie retired, they both felt that they would miss out on the early days of their lives. So they had agreed to save retirement for several years, until their future grandchildren were old enough to visit them in their cottage and to give both Elsie and Ella time to adjust to their, sort of, separation.

'No Ella, we won't be retiring, not any time soon at least, so you won't get rid of that easily.' Elsie joked as she gently patted her daughter's hand.

'Believe me when I say that, not only is it a relief to me, but Papa and Mama were quite relieved when I told them. Mama even said that she didn't know how this house would without you both here to do it.' She replied with a tired smile.

'Oh I'm sure they would manage; anyway my girl, I think it's time that you got yourself off to bed, you look exhausted.' Elsie said with one of her stern maternal looks.

'Don't worry about me Mam, I'm perfectly well.' Ella replied quickly, but received an even sterner look. 'You know Mam; if you keep frowning at me like that you'll get wrinkles.' She added as she reluctantly stood from her chair by the fire place.

Elsie didn't quite know what to say to that and tried desperately hard to hide the laugh that was playing on her lips, but she had so much to be happy about these days, that any chance to express her joy was out of her before she could stop it, so she let herself laugh joyously at the cheek of her daughter and smiled with delight.

'Go and get to your bed, cheeky wee bism.' Elsie said through her laughs.

Ella smiled at her mam and enjoyed seeing her happy, a twinkle in her eyes and a mischievous grin. These days, she was barely recognisable as the once, troubled and closed off soul that she once was.

'Goodnight Mam, I do love you really.' She said as she gave her mother a very loving hug and breathed in the light remnants of her perfume, a scent she found very comforting, and then she turned to Mr Carson. 'Goodnight Mr Carson, don't worry, I love you too.' She said as she gave him a warm hug and Elsie smiled as she watched them together and saw the look of delight on his face as he peered over Ella's shoulder. He was going to be an excellent second father to her.

Ella then left them together and quietly walked up the stairs and into the large entrance hall, where her posture and demeanour changed. She often felt like she had two very different personalities, depending on which of her families she was with. With Robert and Cora and her sisters, she always maintained her aristocratic ways, the way she would sit, the way she walked and even the way she spoke changed. Here, Charlie and Elsie were referred to as Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes as they always had been, her butler and housekeeper and nothing more. Guests to the house would never know that she had a much more personal relationship with either staff member and nor would the other staff, but as soon as the three of them were together in their own sanctuary, Ella became a very different person. She no longer felt the need to behave like the Lady that she was brought up to be.

Charlie and Elsie had also settled well into this relationship and Elsie, in particular, no longer minded it when she and her daughter had to distance themselves whilst upstairs in the house, because they both knew that their upstairs personas were just an act and that the quality time they did spend together, was made all the more special for it. Ella did still, on occasion, feel rather guilty for treating her mam so formally, but Elsie always reassured her, with just a loving glance, that everything was alright and that she did understand.

As Ella finally got to the gallery landing and turned into her bedroom, she breathed a sigh of relief, feeling tired and glad to be getting to bed at last. Henry was already there waiting for her, reading a medical journal on the latest treatments, one of his favourite pass times, which he quickly put to one side on seeing his wife.

'Ah, I was beginning to think you'd never come up. Is everything alright?' He asked.

'Yes everything is fine; we were just talking about the cottage and their wedding, just finalising some of the last minute arrangements really.' She replied as she grabbed her night clothes as slipped into the dressing room and left the door slightly ajar.

'And are you alright? You've been looking very tired these past few days; I do hope you're not over stretching yourself.' He said as she approached the bed and discarded her clothes onto one of her chairs, then climbed on to the bed and sat beside him.

'Everything is just perfect and I will thank you not to worry so much about me. Mam and you will give yourselves a stomach ulcer if you keep worrying like you both do. I can assure you that I am perfectly well.' She smiled contentedly as she took hold of his hand and interlocked his fingers with hers.

'Ah, but my darling wife, you would complain that I didn't love you if I didn't worry.' He replied as he reciprocated her smile.

'True,' she replied as she bent down and kissed him.

Ella soon drifted off with a contented smile on her lips as she watched her husband do the same, wrapped lovingly in each other's arms and with so many wonderful things to look forward to; Christmas Eve couldn't come quick enough for her liking.


	2. Chapter 2

When the 23rd of December finally poked its head into the world, Ella was already awake and staring out of her bedroom window, watching the winter sunrise and she sighed a happy, contented sigh. As she sat in the bay window, the door to her bedroom slowly opened and Daisy quietly crept into the room, but was a little startled to see Ella.

'I'm so sorry Milady; I didn't think you would be awake yet.' She whispered in panic at having disturbed her, but she needn't have worried.

'That's quite alright Daisy; please, come in.' Ella said kindly as she put Daisy at her ease. She had always been an early riser, even as a small child, and more often than not, she was awake when the young kitchen maid entered her bedroom to light the fires. Most of the time Ella would stay in her bed and pretend to sleep, not wanting to startle Daisy, but there was the odd occasion when they would sit and have a chat as she went about her work.

'I'll be as quick as I can Milady.' Daisy whispered as she quietly put down all of her buckets and utensils.

'Take as long as you need.' Ella replied. 'Is anyone else downstairs awake yet?'

'Some of the other servants are gathering in the hall for breakfast Milady.' Daisy explained.

'Thank you Daisy.' Ella said as she uncurled herself from her seat and began to walk towards her bedroom door, tightly wrapping her robe around her against the cold. As she opened her door, she faltered a little, resting her shoulder against the door frame.

'Are you alright Milady?' Daisy asked with concern as she paused her brushing.

'Yes, yes, nothing to worry about; I must have stood up and moved a little too quickly, that's all.' Ella said as she righted herself. 'If Doctor Forbes should wake, will you let him know that I've gone downstairs?' She added as she then moved into the corridor.

As she walked down the cold stone steps into the servants' hall, she heard the sleepy chatter from the breakfast table and she could see her mam and Charlie sat with the other servants. As she walked into the room, everyone suddenly shot up from their seats, something that she really hated, especially when both Charlie and Elsie did it. There were still some elements to their arrangements that she would never get used to.

'I am sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you all; please sit,' she said as she gave them a reassuring smile and the younger staff glanced towards Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes, who gave them a slight nod to indicate that they could indeed sit, but the two heads of staff remained standing.

'Is there something I can help you with Milady?' Elsie asked and she did feel a little concerned at how pale Ella looked.

'No thank you Mrs Hughes, I don't wish to disturb your breakfast. I just came down to get a glass of water and I just wanted to let you know that I was here, that's all.' Ella replied as she then turned and disappeared into the kitchen, where Mrs Patmore was beginning the breakfast for the family, and she looked a little surprised to see Lady Aurelia, but Ella instantly put her mind at rest with a friendly smile.

Ella grabbed a glass from one of the cupboards and ran the cold tap, until she closely followed by Elsie. She should have known that her mam wouldn't have been able to resist.

'Is everything alright El…Milady?' She whispered, but thought better of using her daughter's first name, unsure whether or not Mrs Patmore could hear them.

'Yes, of course it is; I just came down for a drink, that's all.' Ella replied, but Elsie wasn't exactly convinced.

'Come with me.' She whispered and led Ella into her sitting room. 'Right, sit down for a few minutes. You're as white as a sheet!' She exclaimed as she placed her hand to Ella's forehead and was relieved to find she had no temperature at least.

'I'm fine Mam, honest.' Ella replied as she tried to make herself sound more normal, but she could see that Elsie wasn't going to let it go and Ella felt guilty for making her mam feel so anxious, not to mention the fact that she wasn't a very good liar. 'Alright, I will tell you the truth, but you have to swear you won't tell anyone else, not even Mr Carson; I haven't even told Henry yet, I wanted to be sure first before I said anything to anyone and I didn't want to say anything to you before tomorrow.'

'Ella, what on earth is the matter?' Elsie asked as she sat down beside her daughter, filled with concern and dread; after everything they had been through this year, it never entered her mind that it could be something delightful.

'Nothing's the matter Mam,' Ella replied with a happy, teary, smile. 'Have you not guessed it yet? I'm pregnant…at long last, I'm going to make you a granny!' She said with quiet excitement and Elsie had to stop herself from shouting out with joy.

Elsie held her daughter in a close embrace and felt tears springing to her eyes as they held each other. She felt so ecstatically happy and so relieved that she was receiving good news for a change and although she did feel a little bit guilty, she was delighted that she was the first person that Ella told.

'Oh this is just…I don't know what to say Ella…well, congratulations I suppose would be a good start.' She stammered. 'How long have you known? How are you feeling more the point?'

Ella gave a soft sighing laugh as she smiled at the joy she had brought her mam for a change. 'I've only known for a couple of weeks, but I'm about two and a half months a long; I was absolutely fine at first, I didn't even realise I was pregnant, but now I'm feeling really tired and so sick you wouldn't believe it.' She said.

'Oh I think I could; when I was expecting you my morning sickness kicked in first thing in the morning and lasted until mid-afternoon, every day for several weeks; but thankfully it did pass. It will all be worth it in the end though, you'll see.' Elsie replied as she gave her daughter another hug, who was now relieved that she didn't have to pretend anymore and could let herself look as ill as she felt. 'But why didn't you want to say anything before tomorrow? I'm surprised you managed to keep it quiet.'

'Well I kept it quiet for several reasons. One, I didn't want to tell anyone just in case…well, you know, just in case anything was wrong, and two, tomorrow is your day, yours and Mr Carson's and I didn't want to steal that away from you.'

'Oh Ella, you haven't stolen anything away from me, I can assure you; this will just make the day even more special!' Elsie exclaimed with such excitement, which was interrupted when someone knocked on her door. _Interrupted every time!_ She thought with exasperation as she opened the door to find Mrs Patmore standing on the other side.

'I'm sorry to interrupt Milady,' she said as she looked at Ella, 'but may I borrow Mrs Hughes for a moment? I need you to open the door to the store cupboard.' Mrs Patmore said and Elsie gave her daughter an apologetic look.

'I'm sorry Mrs Hughes, I have taken up far too much of your time already; I'll let you get back to work.' She said as she adopted her Lady's tone and stood up from her seat. She walked beside the cook and housekeeper as they approached the staircase and gave her mam a quick, cheeky wink before ascending the stairs, leaving her mother happier than she had felt in a very long time.


	3. Chapter 3

Ella's news had made Elsie so very happy that she didn't even try to hide her smile. She had so much to be delighted about and it felt so nice to have things to celebrate, rather than worries and anxiety. She thought that they'd all had enough of that to last a life time.

As she returned to her sitting room to begin her work, something she didn't feel she'd be able to concentrate on, Charlie came rushing into the room, with such a concerned look on his face and it was clear that he'd been waiting for her.

'Is everything alright Mrs Hughes, with Ella I mean, she looked most unlike herself.' He said in quick whispers and Elsie really struggled not to blurt it out to him; but she had made a promise not to say anything and one thing she was very good at, was keeping a promise.

'Yes she's fine. She's just feeling a little under the weather, that's all. I've sent her to rest for the day though and I'll go up and see her in a little while.'

'But she will be alright for tomorrow, won't she?'

'Trust me Mr Carson, she's been wanting us to get married for so long, that I don't think she would let anything get in the way of coming tomorrow.' Elsie said as she almost had to pinch herself to believe what she was saying. She still couldn't believe, sometimes, that the events of the last year had really happened.

'As long as you are sure Mrs Hughes; I don't want anything to spoil tomorrow for you.' He replied softly as he took the opportunity to steal a brief kiss.

Upstairs, Ella was indeed resting, taking the opportunity to read a book, although her mind kept wandering to her baby and the fact that, now she had told Elsie, that she really should tell Henry next. She could barely control her excitement and couldn't wait for him to return home. He'd been called away to see to the child of one of the tenant farmers, but had promised that it wouldn't take long. She expected him to be home just after lunch; but she was glad that he was away for a while, as she didn't want him fussing and worrying about her too much, as her morning sickness became progressively worse throughout the morning.

As she lay on her bed, there was a gentle tap on her door and Sybil poked her head round with a broad smile on her face. She loved this time of year as much as Ella did and she felt, much like her twin, that this year was going be really, very special. She and Tom were the only family members that knew that Charlie and Elsie were getting married on Christmas Eve and Sybil was just as excited as Ella.

Both she and Tom would be attending along with Ella and Henry, who Charlie had asked to be his best man. It was only going to be a very small ceremony, but it was exactly as Elsie had wanted it, with the most important people in her life there to witness her marry the only man she could ever imagine sharing her life with.

Since their time together in London, albeit brief, Sybil had really tried to make an effort with Elsie and occasionally she joined Ella and her mother in the evenings, which thrilled and delighted Ella. Ella had understood that it had taken Sybil some time to get used to the idea that Elsie was Ella's mother and for a short time it had been something that she had really struggled with; but now that she had come to accept the idea, she was so keen to embrace it and build on her relationship with, not only her sister, but with Elsie as well.

Like her sister, she remembered the early days of their lives, when Elsie had first taken care of them, with great fondness. She remembered when the future housekeeper used to take them both for walks round the garden and told them both stories. Although Sybil now realised that Elsie had been using their time together to be with her daughter, she never felt that Elsie had neglected her in any way or had even favoured Ella over her. No, Elsie had always treated both girls equally and both she and Sybil had a great deal of love and respect for each other; very different to the kind of relationship Elsie had with the two older girls.

'How are you feeling? I met Elsie in the entrance hall a little while ago and she said that you were up here resting, she said that you were feeling a little unwell.' Sybil said quietly as she sat on the bed.

'Oh don't worry Sybbie; I'm fine, just a little tired, that's all.' Ella replied with a genuine smile, but her paleness did concern Sybil.

'Well as long as you are sure; but Elsie made me promise that I'd tell you to make sure that if you need anything then you've to call for her. She said that she knows that you hate it, but she's here if you need anything.' Sybil replied, kindly conveying the message Elsie had given her. 'I think she's planning to come up to see you soon any way.'

'That is kind of her, but she needn't worry so much; I'll be right as rain for tomorrow. In fact, I've been planning some of the decorations, nothing too over the top, but something a little more than what we usually do, for the ball tomorrow night.' Ella said as she sat a little straighter. 'I spoke to Mrs Merchant, the florist in Ripon a few days ago. She's extending our usual order to include some more garlands; I thought we could twist them up the stairs and use some of the spare lights from the Christmas tree to brighten the staircase as well. I've also ordered another, special, little something for them as a little surprise.'

'Oh Aurie that will look lovely.' Sybil replied with delight. 'And what about tomorrow night?'

'What about it?' Ella asked with a slightly confused look, only for Sybil to look back at her with raised eyebrows.

'Aurie, it'll be their wedding night!' She exclaimed. 'We can't expect them to go back to their sleeping quarters on their wedding night, they should be together.'

'Oh yes, that's a very good point; I never actually thought about that. Maybe we could suggest they go to the cottage for the night? I'm sure we could persuade Papa to let them have the day off.' Ella replied.

'Honestly Aurie, you can be so thick sometimes.' Sybil replied bluntly, but with a jovial tone. 'If they take Christmas day off then you'll not get to spend any of it with her and I know Elsie is dying to spend her first proper Christmas with you, even if it is in secret.'

'So what do you suggest then clever clogs?'

'We make up one of the guest rooms for them in the far wing, where they can be together and won't be disturbed. We can decorate it and make it look really romantic for them.' Sybil said with bated excitement.

'That'll be a really great idea, why on earth did I not think of it? There's just one problem I can see with it.'

'What's that?'

'Well we'll have to make up the bed ourselves won't we, if we're to keep it a secret that is,'

'Yes, we will, but I'm sure we can manage that ourselves; how hard can it be to make a bed?'

'True, but it wasn't that I was thinking of; what I am referring to is, how are we going to get all of the linen when mam is the one who keeps the keys?' Ella explained and suddenly Sybil had no more answers.

'Ah, good question.' She replied.


	4. Chapter 4

'Alright how about this idea,' Sybil said as she tried to come up with yet another suggestion as to how they could get into the linen cupboard without Elsie knowing about it. 'Do you remember, when we were children, Mr Carson used to teach us magic tricks? There used to be one where he could take something from our pockets without us knowing, do you remember?'

'I do, but we were never good at it; besides, mam would notice that her keys were missing. She's got the eyes and ears of a hawk that woman.' Ella replied with a giggle and she was enjoying colluding with her sister again, just like they used to do as children and it reminded her of the times when they used to sit and talk about how they would trick the butler and housekeeper into a relationship and now, all these years later, their wish to see the stoic couple together, had finally come true.

However, all talk was cut short at that moment by the arrival of the woman herself, carrying a large tray with a bowl of soup and some bread, closely followed by one of the other maids carrying a tray with tea, milk and cups.

'Just put it over there Beth,' she said quietly as she indicated the small table in the centre of the room and the nervous looking maid did as she was instructed, whilst Elsie put the tray with the soup on the bed. 'Thank you Beth, you may go back downstairs now.' She added as she dismissed the young woman and all three women waited until she was gone and the door was firmly closed before they spoke.

'Is she new, that maid, I don't seem to recognise her?' Ella asked.

'Yes, Beth Holmes; we took her on last week, but I'm not sure how long she'll survive this way of life. She's so home sick, poor wee lamb and terribly nervous, but I can only do my best with her.' Elsie replied.

'And I'm sure she'll do just fine with your guidance and care Mam.' Ella replied with a smile as Elsie fussed over her, tucking a napkin under her chin and pulling the bed clothes round her a little tighter.

'I thought you might like something brought up to you since you're not feeling well; so Mrs Patmore made some vegetable soup especially for you.'

'That was nice of her and nice of you to think of me.' Ella replied as she broke off some of the still warm crusty bread and dipped it into the steaming bowl of soup.

'Well of course I think of you; someone has to look after my bairn.' Elsie replied with a broad smile as she placed a very delicate kiss to Ella's forehead.

'Are you going to join us Elsie?' Sybil said as she moved over and made some space for Elsie to sit.

'I can, but only for a short while mind; unfortunately there's still a lot to be done before tomorrow evening.' She replied as she poured them all a cup of freshly brewed tea and was glad that she'd had the sense to cater for three of them, but she always knew that, usually, wherever Ella was, Sybil was never too far away and vice versa.

'Well, any time with you is better than no time at all Mam,' Ella said with a warm and loving smile as she took her cup from Elsie, who then handed a cup to Sybil and then poured one for herself.

'How are things downstairs? I hope they're not too stressful for you. The last thing we want is for you to be stressed for your big day tomorrow.' Sybil said with a smile and Elsie couldn't help but laugh at how excited both Sybil and Ella looked. If it was possible, she thought that the two girls were possibly more excited about their pending marriage than she and Charlie were.

'Don't you worry about that Sybil, I'm quite used to dealing with downstairs; I've had plenty of practice and between myself, Mr Carson and Mrs Patmore, we can have that ball put together in no time at all.' And that was the truth.

'Are you excited about tomorrow?' Sybil asked.

'I think I am a little too old now to be classed as the excitable kind, but I am certainly looking forward to it.' Elsie replied with glee. Despite her words, secretly, she was very excited, about so many things; her wedding, her first Christmas with her husband and her daughter and her first grandchild. She had so many lovely things to be excited and happy about.

'You are many things Mam, but too old certainly isn't one of them.' Ella replied as she finished her soup and was delighted to have something in her stomach, whether or not it stayed there was going to be a different story.

'Thank you Ella,' Elsie replied with a doubtful smile before putting their empty cups onto the tray and taking Ella's empty bowl. 'I need to go back down now, but just ring if there is anything you need Ella.' She said as she carried the trays out of the room.

Ella waited until she was certain Elsie was as far away from her room as possible before she chose to speak again, but she still spoke it slight whispers, just in case.

'I think I've had an idea about getting into the linen cupboard, but we'll have to wait until tonight, once everyone has gone to bed.' She whispered mysteriously.

In the meantime, the two girls collected flowers, candles and decorations throughout the day and anything else that they thought made the room look particularly nice. They were even able to make up the fire without causing too much chaos, so at least that was one less thing for them to worry about, the following day.

They had chosen one of the nicest guest rooms in the house, but because it was so far away from the main living areas, it very rarely got used. It was decorated in rich red coloured wallpaper, with golden leaves climbing their way up and there was a glorious four poster bed in the centre of the room, an en suit bathroom and a dressing room.

Ella and Sybil had decorated the bed posts with some of the garlands that had already been delivered to the house and had placed candle sticks round the room, ready to be lit just before the arrival of the newly married couple. All that was left for them to do was to make up the bed, but that would have to wait until after everyone had gone to bed.

For now, everything would have to wait until after dinner, as the dressing gong was rung in the hall and the two girls made their way towards their bedrooms.

'It'll seem strange to think of Mr Carson as your new dad.' Sybil whispered as they walked.

'It will seem a little strange I suppose; but I'm so glad that he is going to be. He and mam have been in love with each other since the first day mam arrived at Downton and after everything that she's been put through, I do want to see her happy and I want to know that she's being looked after. She deserves so much happiness and I fear I robbed her of a lot of that.' Ella explained sadly.

'Oh Aurie, how could you possibly think that?' Sybil replied with a small frown. 'I know that the arrangement wasn't great and I'm sure she must have found it very difficult to watch you growing up as another's child, but I remember how happy she used to be with us, in the early days I mean and I remember that wherever we were, she never seemed to be too far away. She was always there to look out for us both.'

'I know Sybbie and I do look back on those days with great fondness and I know she does too. We have sat and talked about everything, so often, when we're alone together and especially after I first found out. I just wish things had been different for her sometimes, that's all.' Ella explained. 'But that's why it's so important that she now gets to be a part of my baby's…' She added but stopped herself from finishing the sentence, but it was too late for her to take it back as Sybil suddenly stopped and had the most gleeful look in her eyes.

'Oh Aurie! Are you really pregnant?' She gasped and Ella couldn't deny her.

'Yes, I am; but you can't say anything to anyone, understand? I haven't even told Henry yet that he's going to be a father and I really wanted him to be the next person to know.' Ella said and even though she was a little bit angry with herself for telling yet another person before her husband, she was glad that Sybil was the next person she told.

'I won't say anything to anyone, but Aurie you have no idea how fantastic this is!' Sybil exclaimed.

'Oh I think I do darling sister, given that I am to be a mother!' Ella replied with a giggle and was confused when Sybil slowly shook her head.

'No, you're not understanding me; this is such fantastic news because, well, because I'm pregnant too!' She whispered and Ella felt stunned, but delighted.

'You're kidding?! Sybbie this is fantastic!' She whispered ecstatically as she hugged her sister tightly.

'But you can't say anything to anyone, not even to Henry….or your mother.' Whispered Sybil but with a broad smile.

'I promise, I won't say anything as long as you promise not to say anything about mine.' Ella replied. 'Come one, we need to get dressed before they start sending out a search party for us.'

They walked towards their rooms quickly, still discussing their pregnancies and Christmas and how extra special the wedding was going to be, before they had to go their separate ways into their own rooms, where Ella found Henry sat waiting for her, half dressed.

'Where on earth have you been? When I asked about you downstairs no one seemed to have a clue where you were!' He asked with concern as he shot up from his seat and went to her, placing his arms around her waist and pulling her in tightly, where she contentedly placed her hands on his bare chest.

'Oh I'm sorry darling; I didn't mean to worry you. Sybbie and I were, well, we're planning a little surprise for Mam and Mr Carson for tomorrow night.' She explained as she looked lovingly into his eyes and suddenly she felt as if this was the right moment to give him their news. She had been waiting for the right time to tell him, but never seemed to feel like the right moment; but now, as she looked up into his eyes and his loving smile, it felt like the best time to tell him.

She stood on her tip toes and kissed him and allowed him to develop the kiss into something much more passionate, before she pulled slightly away from him and glanced up at him once more, with their arms still wrapped around each other.

'Before you go any further with that kiss and go getting any ideas; I have something that I need to tell you.' She said firmly, but with that mischievous grin she so often got. 'You know that I've not exactly been feeling myself lately?' She asked and suddenly Henry found that he was stealing himself for bad news.

'Is everything alright my darling?' He asked urgently.

'Honestly, I would have thought that, with you being a doctor, you would have worked it out long ago.' She teased, but still received a blank, worried look back from her husband. 'I'm pregnant!' She replied at last and was delighted by the look of joy on his face and joined him in laughing hysterically.

'I'm going to be a father?! You're…you're going to be a mother?! We're going to be parents?!' He stammered as he ran his hands through his hair in delighted disbelief. Having been trying to start a family for six months, he had been starting to think that something was wrong; but now it had finally happened for them.

He was so delighted that he wrapped his arms around her waist again and lifted her into the air, kissing her passionately once more, before carefully putting her back down as she broke the kiss with a happy giggle.

'Wow! You have no idea how happy you have made me!' He whispered as he placed his hand on her stomach and she placed her hand over his as they stared happily and lovingly at each other.


	5. Chapter 5

Whilst Charlie was in the dining room along with Alfred and Jimmy, Elsie did her usual rounds around the house, making sure that all of the day's tasks had been carried out and that nothing else needed to be done. Usually she did this with a fine tooth comb, but tonight, her mind was on so many other, happy, things.

She was thinking about how tonight was the last night she would be doing the rounds as Mrs Hughes and how tomorrow night, she would be Mrs Carson, something that she had dreamed of a long time ago, but had never believed for a second that it would come true. But she could feel her heart skip a beat each time she thought about her wonderful, lovely husband to be. Even walking past Cora and Robert's bedroom, which usually sent a shiver down her spine, couldn't dampen her spirits and as she walked further down the corridor and approached the nursery, she felt her heart skip another beat.

She couldn't help herself; she had to peek inside the room where she had so many bittersweet memories, and as she opened the door and allowed her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room, she saw the shadows fall over the old rocking chair in the corner where she had nursed Ella and then she saw the old white and black spotted horse, where Ella and Sybil had played together. There were lots of long forgotten toys in the room, which now lay dormant in anticipation of the next generation of Crawleys.

The thought of her grandchild playing in this room delighted Elsie more than anyone could imagine, because she knew that Ella would always find a way for that child to be part of her mother's life. She still couldn't wait to be a grandmother and she had already decided that she wanted to be called granny.

She allowed her mind to wander to all the wonderful things that she and her husband were going to do with their grandchild and she couldn't wait until they moved into their new cottage together. She already knew that Charlie was planning some lovely things for their garden and she couldn't wait until the summer when they could sit outside together, having tea out on the lawn and watching the day go by.

She was so lost in her imaginings that she quite forgot where she was, until she heard a sound behind her, but was greatful when she realised that it was her daughter.

'Mam is everything alright?' Ella asked with concern.

'Yes, everything is just perfect.' Elsie replied with a delighted, watery smile, which made Ella put her arm around her mother's shoulders and she placed her other hand on Elsie's folded arms. 'I was just thinking about the times we had in this room and about how your wee one is going to be in here soon.'

Ella smiled at her mam's comment and thought back to her early years when Elsie had taken care of her and Sybil. She didn't have a tremendous amount of memories of the days when Elsie had been their nanny and care taker, as a governess had been hired by the time she and Sybil were four and Elsie had been made housekeeper, but the few memories that she did have were very happy ones.

She rested her head against Elsie's as they looked into the room together and imagined Ella's little one inside, playing happily with its cousins and hopefully, one day, its siblings.

'I do love you, you know Mam; I hope you know that and my baby is going to absolutely adore you.' She whispered as she gave her a gentle squeeze and she genuinely meant it and Elsie had no trouble in believing it. But there was just one thing that she couldn't quite get her head around.

'I know you do and I love you, very much Ella, more than you will probably ever know and I will adore your baby too, but have you given much thought to what we will tell him or her about us and about the fact that my relationship with them will have to remain a secret?' She said as she voiced her concern that had troubled her on and off all day.

'Well, no, I hadn't given any thought to that aspect of it; but one thing I do know, is that I will not hide who you are to my baby. I feel so very lucky that you and I have been able to build this wonderful relationship and if I'm perfectly honest, I am sometimes surprised at how naturally everything fell into place between us; I didn't think it would feel so normal when I first found out and I won't lie, I did struggle with some elements of it at first, but now, I can't imagine what my life would be like without you in it as my mother. And I am so very lucky to not only have you, and after tomorrow Mr Carson too, but I am lucky to have Mama and Papa, whom I love just as much and I know they're going to make equally wonderful grandparents. But I don't want to have to put any of us through the lies that we were put through before and I certainly don't want to subject my child, or any future children I may have, through that.' Ella explained with such heartfelt and raw emotion that her words really touched Elsie.

'Thank you for that Ella,' Elsie replied as she gave her daughter's hand a squeeze. 'Now away with you to bed, you look exhausted.' She added.

'And you get off to bed soon as well; it's a big day for you tomorrow and no bride should start her day looking exhausted.' Ella said as she gave her mam a kiss and sauntered off in the direction of her own bedroom.

Elsie shook her head and laughed as she watched her daughter disappear, before happily closing the door to the nursery and walked back towards the servants' door. She contemplated going down to her sitting room and doing some more work, but Ella was right, she didn't want to look tired for her day, but Charlie was still serving the family and probably wouldn't be seen before midnight; but it was unlucky for the groom to see the bride now and she didn't want to start their marriage with bad luck, she thought they'd had enough of that to last a life time. So instead she returned to her bedroom, grabbed a pen and some letter paper and decided to write him a letter.

It had started out just being a note to say goodnight and that she couldn't wait to become Mrs Carson, but her words soon become something more heartfelt as she soon found herself writing some of the things she'd never actually voiced to him.

**My dearest Mr Carson; or perhaps I should start getting used to calling you Charlie now.**

**The next time that we shall see each other will be at the church as we get married, as I won't be coming down to breakfast in the morning. I don't want you to see me before our ceremony, I think we've had enough bad luck to last us an eternity.**

**I want you to know, that as I sit writing this letter, how very happy you have made me and how delighted I will be, to be able to call myself Mrs Carson at long last; something I have waited ever such a long time to say.**

**I am not ashamed to say that I have been in love with you for the last twenty five years and that I will continue to love you for twenty five more, but I am ashamed to say that I never once noticed that you loved me as I do you. All those years we have spent together and I never once entertained the idea that you loved me and I am saddened by the thought of how much time we have wasted.**

**There have been days when I have struggled so much with my past and wondered how on earth I could face the day, but I have always had you at my side and, without you even knowing it, you have been my strength that has carried me on.**

**So, until we meet tomorrow, go to sleep in the knowledge that I love you today more than I did yesterday and a little less than I will tomorrow, for tomorrow you truly will, make me the happiest woman alive.**

**With all of my love, always yours**

**Elsie **

She wrote and then put it into an envelope, slipped inside his bedroom and placed it on to his pillow, before quickly slipping back into her own room. As she got back into the sanctuary of her room she breathed a deep, contented sigh and looked around the room that had been her bedroom for the last fifteen years. It had one or two of her belongings dotted around, but for the most part, none of it was truly hers. As she rested her back against the door, she imagined her bedroom in the cottage that awaited her and her husband and how they had worked together to make it theirs.

She thought about what their life would be like in service after their marriage and about what the others would think, but she didn't really care, as the only reason, now, that she was staying at Downton Abbey was so that she could be with her daughter and her future grandchild. She would change her last name, that much was certain, as she wanted to be known as Mrs Carson and she wanted the world to know that she was his and that he was hers, her best friend, her husband and her lover. She was still having doubts about that last aspect of their relationship though and she cursed herself for feeling so inadequate. She feared that, when it came to it, that she might not be able to, that she might be too afraid and too damaged to be able to give herself to him properly.

Of course, she knew that he wasn't marrying her for that and she knew that she could trust him more than she had ever trusted anyone else; but still, she wanted to be a good wife to him and she wanted to make him happy, as he had made her.

As her thoughts whirred around busily in her head, she slipped off her dress, put on her night clothes and climbed into bed. She must have been more tired than she thought, because she soon slipped into sleep, dreaming of what was to come the next day.

Whilst Elsie was hard and fast asleep, and the other staff members had all gone up, Sybil and Ella were still very much awake, waiting for all sounds in the house to cease, as everyone else went to their beds. Once they were certain that they wouldn't be caught out, the crept from their bedrooms and met in the hall on the gallery.

'Right, are you ready?' Sybil asked Ella with the slightest of whispers.

'As ready as I'll ever be.' Ella replied as she matched her sister's tone.

'What exactly are you going to do?'

'I'm going to try to pick the lock on the linen cupboard door.' Ella said as she and Sybil disappeared through the servants' door.

'You don't know how though!' Sybil exclaimed. 'Do you?!' She then added in shocked disbelief.

'Well as long as you promise not to tell anyone, yes I can, as it happens. When the soldiers were convalescing here, one of them showed me how to do it and I've been dying to try it out ever since.' Ella replied with a giggle as they finally reached the cupboard.

Sybil watched as her twin took two bobby pins from her hair and bent them into an easier shape, before inserting them into the lock. She wiggled the pins for almost ten minutes before there was any sound of the lock giving and then the familiar snap and click as it unlocked.

'Oh thank God for that! I wasn't sure that was actually going to work.' Ella said as she breathed a sigh of delight and of relief. If she hadn't been able to pick the lock, she wasn't entirely sure what she would have done as an alternative.

They swung the doors open and looked at the neat rows of clean, freshly pressed linen, pillow cases and sheets, before selecting a set that looked the most luxurious and only came out for very special occasions, which, of course, this was.

'Right, there's no sense in us trying to make the bed up tonight; we'll take this upstairs with us later on, but first, how do you fancy making a cake?' Ella whispered.

'A cake?!' Sybil exclaimed. 'Are you mad Aurie?'

'No I certainly am not mad; I don't want to make them anything grand, just a very simple sponge to celebrate. I have a recipe here and I've seen Mrs Patmore doing it loads of times.' Ella replied as she walked round the kitchen collecting as many of the ingredients as she could find and grabbed some of the utensils as well.

'Why not? It might be fun to make a cake again; I haven't made one since before the war.'

The two girls worked quickly and quietly as they made their sponge cake and they so enjoyed their time together, doing something that they both enjoyed without anyone else prying. The only problem was, they hadn't quite anticipated how long it would take to make the cake and the sun was soon beginning to lighten the sky. As they opened the door to the hot oven to check on their cake, someone walked into the kitchen and had to stifle a cry of surprise.

'Oh Miladies, I wasn't expecting to see anyone down yet.' Daisy said with sleepy astonishment and both Sybil and Ella looked worriedly at each other at having been caught out.

'I'm sorry Daisy, we didn't mean to startle you, we were…well we've been…' Ella stammered, but she didn't exactly know how to explain what she and her sister had been doing all night. 'How long have we got before the other staff come down to breakfast?' She said suddenly.

'They'll be down in about an hour. I came down to light the fire and get ready for breakfast Milady.' Daisy replied before flaring her nostrils slightly. 'Is something burning?' She asked and suddenly both Ella and Sybil snapped back into reality.

'Oh my gosh our cake!' Ella exclaimed as she turned round with the cloth in her hand and pulled the cake out and was very thankful that it was only the top that had caught.

'Great, now we'll have to start again.' Sybil said with exhausted dismay.

'No Milady, it's only the top that's caught, see?' Daisy said as she rushed towards them and pointed at the slight blackening of only part of the top. 'We can cut the top off and put some icing and decorations on it.' She added.

'I think it'll look fabulous. Thank you for your help Daisy.' Ella said with a relieved smile as the young woman gathered some icing sugar and various other decorations for the top.

'I don't mean to be rude Milady, but may I ask why you've made a cake in the middle of the night?' Daisy asked meekly, a little afraid that she was being impertinent but Ella gave her a reassuring smile.

'Well I will tell you the truth, but only if you promise not to tell another living soul.' Ella said and so Daisy was brought in on the glorious secret of Mr Carson's wedding to Mrs Hughes and Daisy was so happy and excited for them that she instantly agreed to help in any way that she could.

'Well there is something you could help us with,' Ella said after they had helped to clean all of the dishes and utensils they had used during the night and she show her the linen they had taken from the cupboard.


	6. Chapter 6

As Elsie woke she heard the familiar sounds of the junior staff moving around their rooms and in the corridor, getting ready to start a brand new day and for the usual chaos that ensues. But today, she was not going to be a part of that chaos; today she was not going to be rushing around and worrying about whether or not fresh linen was needed on the beds, or if the maids had cleaned out the bedrooms, or if they needed fresh flowers in the hall way. For today, she became Mrs Carson.

She smiled as she laid on her back, staring up at the white ceiling, until she heard a gentle knock on her door. She decided to ignore it at first, hoping it had been an accident or just a sound from one of the nearby rooms, but after a few seconds there was a second, more prominent, knock. With a grumpy frown she put on her dressing gown and approached the door, about to wrench it open until she suddenly thought that it might be Mr Carson.

'Who is it?' She asked through the door, with her hand resting on the door handle.

'It's me Mam and Sybbie too.' Ella whispered back, so Elsie quickly opened the door and ushered the two girls inside, who were carrying a rather heavy looking tray full of breakfast, toast and tea. 'We guessed you might be in hiding this morning, so we thought we better bring you something up. We also thought we could spend the morning with you and then help you to get ready, if you'll let us.'

'Oh Ella, you didn't have to do that; but didn't the staff think it was unusual that you were down in the kitchens?' Elsie replied as she climbed back into her bed, under the warmth of the duvet and her three blankets.

'We managed to get it all done before anyone came down and we made sure no one saw us coming up, so we're quite safe.' Ella explained as she sat beside her mam on her bed and Sybil sat in the chair at the side; of course what they didn't say was that Daisy had in fact helped them, but Elsie didn't need to know everything.

'Well, as long as you are quite sure. I suppose you might be able to help me eat some of this, I think you've made enough to feed an army!' Elsie joked as she buttered them all a slice of toast.

The three of them sat together for hours, chatting and eating what the girls had made, before they finally decided that it was time for Elsie to start getting ready and both Sybil and Ella delighted in helping her. Ella was standing doing her mam's hair and was amazed at how long it was. In all her life she couldn't ever remember seeing her mother with her hair completely down; even in London she had kept it tied up into a plait, so Ella was astonished when she started to brush it and found that it naturally fell to just above Elsie's waist, but it also made her smile to see that it was naturally wavy, just like her own.

'Have you always had curly hair Mam?' She asked as she took her curling tongs and began twisting Elsie's hair into tight corkscrew curls to give her a more prominent wave.

'Yes I have, more so when I was a wee girl mind, but I think I've worn it in the same sort of style for the last forty years, that it naturally takes its shape.' She replied with a laugh. 'Now make sure you don't make it too modern Ella!' She added with a slightly concerned tone and a raised eyebrow.

'I won't Mam, I promise, but I want you to look extra special.' Ella replied as she curled more of Elsie's hair, until her face was framed by lots of corkscrew curls, which Ella then pinned up and into place. When she finally let Elsie look in the mirror, she was pretty pleased with her daughter's handy work.

'You'd make quite a good Lady's maid Ella,' Elsie joked as she turned her head this way and that to admire her reflection.

'I have some of my make-up here if you want any,' Sybil said as she handed Elsie some powder, eyeliner and lipstick. They were very soft colours that Sybil had chosen and not at all garish.

Elsie hadn't properly worn make-up in years; in fact, when she thought about it, the last time she had worn any was when she had courted Joe Burns over twenty years ago! She couldn't believe it had been that long ago, although, at the same time, it now seemed like a lifetime or a different life.

Once she had applied a light layer of make-up she then turned her attentions to her dress. It was a very simple style in a greyish purple colour, with a plaited skirt. She had picked it out only a week earlier, when Ella and Sybil had demanded that they buy something new for her. So they had taken her into Ripon and they had spent a most lovely afternoon together.

'We'll leave you to get changed Mam; it's probably time we started getting ready now any way. I don't think Reverend Travis will approve if we turn up in our night things,' Ella joked.

'No I should think not; off you go and get ready, I'll be perfectly alright from here.' Elsie replied with a very contented smile.

Both girls did as they were told, kissed Elsie on the cheek and left her to finish the final touches to her outfit. They went quickly downstairs and out through the door that led them to their other life, the one where they were surrounded by fine things and clothes.

When they got to their own bedrooms, their respective husbands were already getting dressed into their suits, no tails, no fancy dinner jackets, none of the usual attire that being married to a Crawley girl entailed; no, on this occasion they got to wear their own three piece suits, which looked very smart, but felt far more normal to them than they had felt in a long time.

'Are you alright my love? You're looking very tired; perhaps you should sit for a while?' Henry said on seeing Ella as he guided her to the chair by the fire.

'I am absolutely fine Henry; I hope I won't have to put up with you spoiling me like this for another seven months you know; I'm pregnant, not an invalid.' She replied as she gentle stroked his cheek with a smile.

'Of course I'm going to spoil you and pamper you and take good care of you. My darling you have made me the happiest man on this earth and there isn't anything that I won't do for you; so be a good girl and just accept it.' Henry joked as he sat beside her, wrapped his arm around her shoulder and held her closely, gently kissing her temple. 'How are you feeling, in all honesty?' He whispered as he rested his head against hers, tickling Ella's neck which made her giggle.

'Well Doctor, I can honestly say, hand on heart, that I feel completely washed out, nauseous and like my stomach is doing a thousand summersaults; but I'm all the happier for it, because I know that in a few months we will be sat here, with a mini-us in our arms.' She said with a smile as she rested her hand on her stomach. 'And I meant what I said months ago, when we were talking about starting a family; I don't want anyone else looking after our child or any future children we might have. I want us to look after our children and I want to be a mother to my baby, the way that neither of my mothers were allowed to be to me. Mama was dictated to because of her status as the Countess of Grantham and Mam was forced into hiding. I want our baby to know who its mother and father are.' She explained with tears in her eyes.

'I promise you Ella, you will be mother to our child and no one will take that away from you. You will be such an amazing mother.' Henry replied softly.

'And you are to be an amazing father, for you are already a wonderful husband.' She replied as she raised her head to kiss him tenderly. 'I am so looking forward to telling Mama and Papa tomorrow and to your parents too. I hope they'll be able to make it up alright this evening.' She said as she returned to her normal composure. Her hormones were certainly playing havoc with her emotions today.

'I'm sure they'll be fine; I know they were very much looking forward to spending Christmas with us and I know that they will just love our news. But what about Elsie? It seems hardly fair that she should be the last to find out; she is your mother too.'

Ella paused for a few moments before replying, remembering that her husband had no idea that her mam did in fact already know. She couldn't lie to him though; she was always a hopeless liar, she just hoped that he wasn't angry at her.

'Ah, well about that; would you be terribly angry if I told you that she already knew?' She asked slowly as she watched him, trying to gauge his reaction, and he did look a little hurt.

'You mean you told Elsie before you told me?' He asked as he pulled away from her slightly.

'No, not exactly; I wasn't feeling very well the other morning and I didn't want to get someone up from downstairs just to bring me a glass of water, so I went down into the kitchens to get it myself. She saw me and asked me if everything was alright and she got so worried when I couldn't tell her what was wrong, so I had to tell her!' Ella defended but she could see that she had hurt her husband, which was the very last thing she had intended to do. He moved away from her and began to get dressed, a mix of emotions playing on his face. 'I'm sorry Henry, I didn't mean to hurt you; I know you would have wanted to have been the first to know, but it couldn't have been helped. Please don't be angry.' She said softly as she got up from her place by the fire and went to him.

'I just wish you had come to me first Ella; I'm supposed to be your husband, did I not have a right to know that I was going to be a father before anyone else was told?!' He spat in a more agitated tone than he had intended.

'You are absolutely right my love, I should have told you first and I am sorry, truly; but Elsie has known me my whole life, she knows when I am lying to her, she knows when I'm ill, well she knows everything there is to know about me, she's my mother for crying out loud! If you'd have seen the look of worry on her face when she thought that there was something wrong with me, well you'd have told her too. I couldn't bear the thought of lying to her and letting her then worry about me for days on end, until we were ready to announce it. I think I've caused her enough worry, stress and concern over the years, don't you?!' Ella replied defensively, her inherited Scottish fire burning within her as her nostrils flared angrily and she gave him that very well-known Hughes glare.

Henry relented under her stare and he knew that Ella would never do anything to deliberately hurt him. He held out his arms to her and enveloped her into a loving embrace; he was still mad at her, but the pride and joy he felt at the prospect of becoming a father overrode that and he couldn't stay mad at her for long.

'Alright, I understand; but in future, will you please let me know things before telling the rest of your family?' He said as he placed a kiss to her lips.

'I promise, in future, you will be the first to know anything that goes on.' She said apologetically once more and kissed him passionately, before removing herself from his arms and took her dress from the wardrobe.

She dressed quickly, having not realised how little time she had left to get ready. She had ordered two cars to take them to church. Henry, Tom and Charlie were to go in one and Sybil, Ella and Elsie were to follow shortly after them in the other. As Charlie and Elsie had known the two girls since birth, they had asked that they be their witnesses and of course, the girls willingly accepted.

Charlie had slipped away from the family and from his duties as soon as he could, leaving Thomas in charge until his return. Of course Thomas had tried to enquire as to Mr Carson's whereabouts, but Charlie had, in a round about sort of way, told him to mind his own business, before he went upstairs, where he met with Henry and Tom outside.

'Are you ready Mr Carson?' Tom asked politely.

'As ready as I'll ever be.' Charlie replied nervously as they all got into the vehicle, watched from the window by Ella and Sybil who were in Ella's room with Elsie.

'How do you feel Mam? Are you nervous?' Ella asked as she helped Sybil with her coat, before Sybil returned the favour.

'I feel, in a daze really; so much has happened to me this year and I still can't believe any of it has happened. As for feeling nervous, I thought that I would, but I'm not. I love him and I know that he loves me and that's all that I need to feel.' Elsie replied as Ella then went to hug her mother and held her in a tight embrace.

'Come on you two, we need to get going, otherwise we'll be late.' Sybil said softly and with a large smile as she held Elsie's coat out for her.

All three women made their way down the stairs and out to the awaiting car and were relieved that no one saw them. Although the journey to the church was usually a quick one, today it felt to be taking forever. Even though Elsie wasn't nervous, Ella certainly was, for her mam and for her soon-to-be father. She wanted this day to be perfect for them, with no mistakes or interruptions or delays. In some respects she was very glad that there was still no snow, although a part of her was still a little disheartened by it, as she loved the snow and thought that it would make everything look that little more romantic.

Finally the car pulled up outside the church; Mr Davis, the chauffeur helped the three ladies out of the vehicle and they walked excitedly up the church path. They could feel the cold air on their faces, which made them walk all the quicker up the path until, at long last, they made it into the vestibule of the little church.

'Elsie I'll take your coat and keep it with me until after the service.' Sybil said as Elsie removed her coat and shivered slightly, although she wasn't sure if that was because of the cold or her excitement.

Sybil then gave Elsie a kiss on the cheek, wished her luck and then slipped through the door into the church, leaving mother and daughter quite alone.

'Are you ready then Mrs Hughes?' Ella said with a mischievous smile.

'Mrs Hughes is it now?' Elsie replied, matching her daughter's mischievous tone.

'Well, it's the last time I will ever say it; because the next time I have to address you as anything other than mam, it will be as Mrs Carson.' She replied as she opened the door. 'Come on, before he thinks you've stood him up.' She added and the two women walked down the aisle together, towards a beaming Mr Carson.


	7. Chapter 7

Elsie stood opposite Charlie and they both smiled at each other, whilst staring lovingly into each other's eyes. Neither could believe that this moment had finally arrived, as they swapped their vows and held tightly on to each other's hands.

'I Elspeth Mhairi Hughes, take thee, Charles Edward Carson to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honor and to cherish, till death us do part.' Elsie said quietly, as instructed by Reverend Travis and Ella couldn't help but take a deep breath of pride as she heard her mam say the words. She had also never thought about her mother's middle name before or that Elsie might have been the shortened version of Elspeth. She realised that, although she had shared so much with her mam in the last year, she still had so much that she wanted to learn about her.

Once Elsie had repeated her promise to Charlie, it was now his turn to make his to her. Ella knew that he would look after her mam, just the way he was looking at her now proved that. He was so deliriously happy, that he had tears in his eyes and his bottom lip quivered ever so slightly as he formed the words to his promise to her.

'I Charles Edward Carson, take thee, Elspeth Mhairi Hughes to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honor and to cherish, till death us do part.' He replied with as much love and care as one could convey in one sentence.

As Ella stood just behind her mam, she happened to catch her own husband's eye, who was standing behind Charlie and glancing at his wife. They both smiled at each other, happy for themselves and happy for the man and woman saying their vows. Henry was so lost in his own happiness, that he very nearly missed his cue to hand Charlie the rings, which made Elsie stifle a laugh when she noticed it, but the distraction slightly unnerved Charlie, who fumbled a little as he placed the ring to Elsie's finger and she placed her hand over his to steady him. He briefly looked up at her and smiled, before calmly pushing the ring neatly into place and saying the words that accompanied it.

'In the presence of God, and before their witnesses, Elspeth and Charles have given their consent and made their marriage vows to each other. They have declared their marriage by the joining of hands and by the giving and receiving of a ring. I therefore proclaim that they are husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.' Reverend Travis said and Charlie took a step toward his bride and placed a tender, chaste kiss to her lips, which was followed by a short round of applause by Ella, Sybil, Tom and Henry. When they pulled apart, Elsie and Charlie beamed with love, devotion and utter blissful delight.

'Mam I'm so happy for you,' Ella whispered as she held her mam close and hugged her tightly, which was very much reciprocated by Elsie, as the wedding party began to make their way out of the church.

Sybil ushered Tom and Henry out first, citing that they should give the newlyweds and their daughter a few moments alone, a comment that really touched and pleased Ella in some respects, but coming from her own sister, it still, occasionally, felt a little strange. Just before she departed, Sybil turned to face her sister and they passed a very loving and knowing look between them, before she disappeared and the outside door to the church was heard closing, and Ella, Elsie and Charlie stood together halfway up aisle.

Ella wrapped her arm around Elsie's waist and rested her head against hers as they faced Charlie, who was smiling uncontrollably at them both and held tightly on to Elsie's hand, which now had her shiny new wedding band.

'You must promise me that you'll take very good care of her,' Ella said to him, but she knew that he would and knew that he always had, but she wanted to make sure that he would. It still amazed her at how her relationship with the housekeeper had changed and how natural her relationship with her mother had formed, but she still felt so very protective of her mam and was never afraid to show that defensiveness, which made Charlie smile all the more.

'I can promise you Ella, I will take very good care of her, from now and forever.' He said as he gently squeezed Elsie's hand. 'And I very much hope that you will let me take good care of you too.' He added.

'You always have Mr Carson, but I am so pleased that it will now be as my dad.' She said and he puffed out his chest a little at her words.

The door to the church opened once again, putting an end to their tender moment, but the look of delight on Sybil's face as she peered round the door, piqued the interest of the new family.

'Quick Aurie, you must come outside, it's so beautiful!' She exclaimed before dashing off again. Charlie, Elsie and Ella looked at each other with furrowed brows and questioning looks, but did indeed follow the other young woman out into the cold December air and they finally saw what it was that Sybil had been referring to.

When they had entered the church there hadn't been a single snowflake on the ground, but now everywhere was covered in a very thick blanket, with the gravestones covered to halfway up and a constant, slow flurry still falling, just as the sky was beginning to turn pink.

Charlie quickly disappeared back into the church to grab his and Elsie's coats, which he lovingly helped her to put on, before he considered putting on his own and Ella loved this little display of affection, which neither of them probably realised that they were showing each other.

'I didn't think to order the car to take us back up to the house, as I thought the walk back might have been nice; but I can always use Reverend Travis's phone if you would rather I get the car back?' Ella said as she tightened her own coat around her.

'Not at all Ella; I think the walk back will do us all some good. Besides, the car probably won't even get out of the drive in this, let alone into the village.' Elsie replied as she tucked her arm through her husband's as they all began to walk away from the church.

The two younger couples walked slightly on ahead, leaving the two newlyweds to hang back a little as they walked out of the village and began to walk up the snowy, bare, tree lined road, that led up to Downton Abbey.

'I wonder what they will say when we get back to the house.' Elsie said as she buried herself deeper into Charlie's side.

'I don't think I really care what they think,' Charlie replied.

'My my Charles Carson, you do surprise me. I didn't think there was anything more important to you than what the family thought and about the standards we kept.' Elsie teased with that mischievous grin.

'Ah well that is where you are wrong my dear; for nothing is more important to me than you are, well you and Ella.' He responded as he placed his hand over hers, which was still nestled in the crook of his arm. 'Did you hear her, in the church, she called me dad.' He added softly with a proud smile.

'I did; you've made her so very happy, and me too of course, but she's so delighted that the three of us can be a family, the way she feels it should be, the way it probably always should have been.' Elsie replied quietly and with a little melancholy tone.

'But we're a family now and that's what matters, well it's all that matters to me.' He replied softly and she nodded subtly at him. Neither had realised that they had stopped walking, but Ella had noticed and she too had stopped, a couple of yards ahead of them, soon followed by Sybil, then Henry and then Tom.

'Is everything alright Aurie?' Sybil asked, as she stood just in front of her sister, but she got no reply, as Ella stood rooted to the spot, fixated on her mam and dad and at how happy they looked together and at how happy she was for them; that was until she felt something wet and cold hit her in the side of the head and then heard a mischievous giggle.

'Oh it's going to be like that is it?' She replied with a raised eyebrow, as she then scooped up a handful of snow, smoothed it into a loose ball and then threw it at her retreating twin, which hit her in the back, causing both Tom and Henry to break into raucous fits of laughter, which inevitably meant that their respective wives soon turned their attentions to them.

Elsie and Charlie watched as the grown men and women suddenly reverted to children in a school playground. They did continue to walk up the lane, but in very slow increments; however, neither Charlie nor Elsie minded, as it pleased them to see their daughter enjoying herself.

'It's lovely to see her smile like that.' Charlie said in a deep rumble as Elsie stood beside him with her head resting against his chest as she tried to shelter from the cold wind that was starting to whip around them.

'Aye, it is grand to know that my baby is happy and that we're finishing our year on a high, rather than the sorrow and strife it started with; it makes things a little easier for me when we finally move into our cottage.' She replied with a genuinely delighted smile.

'Do you mean that?' He asked with uncertainty. 'Because we don't have to do anything that you don't want to do you know?' He added and it was a phrase that referred to so many things, none of which she knew exactly how to respond to.

'I'm quite sure Charlie; that house will truly be the start of our new life together.' She said, calling her husband by his name for the first time, which was a new sensation for the both of them. They'd spent the last twenty five years calling each other Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes, so the thought of referring to each other by any other name, was going to take some getting used to, but to hear her say his name, particularly in that delicious Scottish brogue, certainly met with his approval.

As they stood talking something suddenly flew past their faces, quickly followed by "Oi that nearly hit my mam!" and a very hasty "Sorry!" from Tom, who suddenly yelped as Ella launched a rather large, retaliatory snowball at his face. Elsie laughed as she clung to her husband's arm, before gaining her composure to chastise them all.

'Right I think we've had quite enough of that thank you!' She said, as she put on her best, stern-housekeeper-tone, which made Charlie chuckle to himself and the four younger adults did indeed do as they were told and stopped, eventually, exhausted, soaking wet and a little bedraggled, but happy just the same.

'Quite right,' Ella coughed and spluttered with giddiness. 'If we don't set off now, the ball will have finished by the time we get there.' She added with a laugh, as they all regained their composure and set off at a leisurely pace once more, this time they all walked together in a small group.

They sky had soon turned pitch black, the snow had all but stopped now and very little could be seen in front of them, except for the warm glow of the lights from the Abbey that were cast into the dark grounds around them. As they approached the front door, music could be heard spilling out into the driveway; but it wasn't the usual band that they had for the ball, nor was it the usual music.

On hearing the music Ella's face split into a wide smile; she'd clean forgotten about her surprise for her mam and dad, so now she dragged them both inside, where the entrance hall was filled with the sounds of accordions and fiddles, playing a reel or two.

'Surprise mam!' Ella whispered with glee at Elsie's astonishment. 'I thought I'd really get in touch with my Scottish side for the evening.' Elsie had no idea what to say to her beloved daughter, or indeed how to express her astonishment to her new husband, who was trying to help her take her coat off; she was just quite glad that they were currently on their own. However, at the sound of their voices, the door to the library opened and both Robert and Cora appeared with bemused looks on their faces.

'Ella, Sybil, where on earth have you been?' Cora asked as she took in the sight of their sodden clothing and reddened cheeks.

'Hello Mama, well, we have some news for you.' Ella said as she kissed her mother on the cheek, which made Cora wince as she felt the cold.

'What news?' Cora replied as she looked at her youngest daughter with concern and for an explanation.

'Well it's not my news to tell you; so I'll let Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes explain.' Ella said as she looked towards her mam and dad.

'Is everything alright Carson?' Cora prompted.

'Yes Milady, everything is more than alright, I hope you will find. You see, Mrs Hughes and I, well we got married this afternoon Milady.' Charlie explained, a little unsure of how to find the words at first, but at his words, Mary appeared from the library, and all three expressed their delight at the newlyweds' news.

'Congratulations Carson, Mrs Hughes…or should I say Mrs Carson now? This truly is welcoming news!' Robert said as he shook the butler's hand.

'Thank you your Lordship.' Elsie replied with a slight blush.

'But why all the cloak and dagger?' Cora asked, but she had a large smile and was genuinely happy for the two senior staff members.

'Well Milady, I'm sure you can appreciate that I wanted Lady Aurelia to be there; but if we had informed the other staff, or indeed anyone else, then it may have seemed too unusual that she was taking such an active role. We also only wanted a very small, quiet day, so it made sense for us to keep it secret until afterwards.' Elsie explained respectfully and prayed that Cora and Robert wouldn't take exception to Ella being actively involved in their wedding, but she needn't have worried.

'Of course you would have wanted Ella to have been there.' Cora said with sad understanding. She knew about the relationship Elsie and Ella had built together, as Ella had been very honest with her mother, and Cora did appreciate that they tried to keep their relationship separate from the one her daughter had with her; but every so often something would happen, that would just tug a little at Cora's heartstring, that would remind her that, naturally, she was Ella's mother. Not that Ella ever took her relationship with her mother for granted, nor did she think any less of Cora for not being her natural mother, and she did very much hope that she conveyed this to her mama.

'Mama we're going to go up and change before you open the ball,' Ella said as she once more adopted her formal tone and posture.

'Oh quite right; the other servants will be coming up shortly, the band are just warming up, oh and Henry, your mother and father arrived whilst you were all out. We've settled them in the Princess Amelia and I believe that they were getting changed themselves before they planned to come down.' Cora explained.

At her words everyone parted without another word to the other. Charlie and Elsie left through the servant's door and Sybil, Tom, Ella and Henry made their way up the stairs.

'Perhaps I will look in on mother and father before I change.' Henry said as they got to gallery corridor.

'Of course, go ahead; I'm just going to get changed right away though as I'm starting to feel rather cold.' Ella replied as she kissed her husband and cupped his cheek before parting to their bedroom.


	8. Chapter 8

Ella walked out on to the gallery and looked down into the entrance hall, as the band played another reel and the staff all began to gather for the party, greeted by each of the family. She watched as her family greeted each staff member and they reciprocated the greeting politely, before helping themselves to some of the punch prepared by Daisy and Mrs Patmore, which was laid out on a table next to some sandwiches and plates.

Just as he was greeting Anna and Mr Bates, Robert happened to glance up to where Ella was standing and caught her eye; she smiled happily at him and smiled even wider when she saw him excuse himself and walk towards her.

'You've caused quite a stir with your change of entertainment.' He said once he joined her at the top of the stairs, but his tone wasn't angry, in fact, he was quite enjoying the change from their usual quartet.

'I do hope you don't mind Papa; I know that we don't usually have a ceilidh band, but I wanted this day to be really special for Mrs Hughes….I mean, Mrs Carson, and for Mr Carson too.' She explained.

'No, I don't mind my little one; it makes for a pleasant change.' He replied with a smile before his brow creased. 'You've made quite a life for yourself with Mrs Hughes, haven't you?' He said and something in his eyes touched Ella in a way that she hadn't expected. There was an element of sadness behind his comment, something she had never noticed before.

'I guess you could say that Papa; but I hope you know that I do love you and Mama too. It's been such an awful year for the four of us, how we ever got through it I will never know, but I do love and adore you and Mama, very much.' She explained with genuine love as she took a step towards her father and he enveloped her into a warm, tight hug and he deeply felt every ounce of love he had for his little girl.

'I know I don't say this often my little one, but you are so very much loved by your mother and me. I am so proud of all that you have achieved this year, even after everything that you have been put through, you've managed so well.' He whispered and Ella was truly touched by his words and by how much he clearly loved her; she only hoped that she conveyed to him just how much she loved him too.

'I know that I now have two lives Papa, this beautiful one that I share with you and mama and the lovely one that I now share with Mrs Hughes; but I do hope you know, that I never take you and Mama for granted and what we have. I value you both so much and your love for me, even more so than I probably did before.' She whispered in response as tears began to pool in her eyes.

As they stood holding on tightly to each other, Henry walked on to the gallery with his parents and he smiled slightly as he watched his wife with her father. Over the last few months he had watched how her relationship with her parents had changed; for a short time, Henry had been a little concerned that Ella's relationship with Robert and Cora may have been tarnished after Richard's arrival and after the events that had unfolded, but Ella had worked hard to ensure that that hadn't happened and she built back that trust, loyalty and love that she had always felt for them.

He coughed slightly to indicate his presence and father and daughter parted slightly, their tender moment at an end, but never the less meaningful for it.

'I will see you both downstairs,' Robert said as he gripped his daughter's hand, gave it a gentle squeeze and then excused himself.

Henry then stepped into where Robert had been standing, wrapped his wife tightly into his arms and smiled lovingly at her.

'Are you alright my darling?' He asked her in a gentle whisper.

'Yes, thank you; I'm just a little tired.' Ella replied as she stifled a yawn and she smirked as her husband raised his eyebrows at her.

'You must take it easy Ella,' he said with a concerned tone 'perhaps you should take the opportunity to lie down for a while before you come downstairs.' He added as a suggestion, but Ella was having none of it.

'Certainly not! This is mam's day and I will not spoil it for her. Besides, I'm pregnant Henry, not an invalid.' She said sternly, but with a smile, as she gently cupped his cheek. 'Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that. I know that we agreed to tell everyone tomorrow at dinner, but would you mind if we didn't? The thing is, if we announce it at dinner, then Mr Carson will over hear it and since he is my dad now I would prefer to tell him in person, rather than have him find out like that.'

'I am sure I can agree to that,' Henry responded as he gave Ella a gentle, loving kiss.

'Thank you, although my next request you might not be so keen to agree to.' She replied a little shyly as she glanced back down into the entrance hall, which was now full of staff and family alike and she saw Robert and Cora mingling. 'I'd really like to tell Mama and Papa on their own; I know that, ideally, we should tell them at the same time as telling your parents, but I'd really like to make them feel a little bit special. I worry a little about them, that they may be feeling a little, I don't know, pushed out, I guess, by my relationship with Mam. I fear that I may have been so desperate to make it up to Mam for all her years of hurt that I forgot about my parents. Does any of that make any sense?'

Henry gave a deep sigh, 'yes it does, as it happens; but I don't want my parents to be the last ones to know' it seems most unfair to them you know.'

'I know and you are right it does. It's hard trying to keep everyone happy, isn't it?' Ella said with a despondent small laugh as she placed her hand to her forehead.

'I tell you what; when you feel the time is right, why don't you take Robert and Cora aside and tell them and I'll do the same with my parents, and whilst you're at it I suppose you might want to tell Mr Carson as well, we can't have him feeling left out. They'll have to keep it quiet though until we can tell everyone else; how does that sound?' He replied to the delight of his wife who threw her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately, which took him a little by surprise. She returned from her tiptoes back to her feet, just as Mable and Arthur came out from their room.

'It's so lovely to see you both; I'm so glad that you could join us for Christmas.' Ella said as she greeted them.

'It was lovely for your parents to invite us.' Mable said as she greeted her daughter-in-law with a kiss to the cheek. 'And what a party it is going to be; do you usually have a ceilidh?'

'Not usually, but today is a very special day and I wanted to arrange a very special surprise for my birth mother.' Ella explained. 'Come on downstairs, Papa's ready to make the announcement.' She added as they all made their way down into the entrance hall, where the party was about to start properly.

Robert cleared his throat to welcome the guests and open the party, which he usually did with Mrs Hughes, but, this time, he was going to do things a little differently.

'Ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention for a moment; first of all I would like to welcome you to this year's ball and to thank you all for coming. Now as you all know, it is usually customary for Lady Grantham and me to open the ball with Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes, but this year is going to be very different; Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes, if I might ask that you come forward please?' Robert said as he beckoned them both toward him from the back of the room and they shyly did as they were instructed. 'This year I would like to ask you to open the ball together, in your first dance…well ladies and gentlemen, in their first dance together as Mr and Mrs Carson.' Robert finished with broad delight and there was excited chatter all around the room and gasps of joy as everyone realised what Robert had just said and they all joined him in clapping their congratulations to the stoic couple.

The band struck up a slow waltz, a familiar Celtic tune that Elsie recognised from when she was a young girl and she felt herself sway in time as she was clasped tightly to her husband's side, who proudly guided them both round the room. After a few moments they were joined on the dance floor by Robert and Cora and then others followed suit. Ella happened to glance up towards her mam and dad, who were completely oblivious to everyone else and completely lost in each other and she smiled with utter delight at them.

Once the dance had concluded and the band struck up another song, Elsie and Charlie were surrounded by their friends and colleagues who wanted to congratulate them and not least of all by Mrs Patmore.

'Mr Carson, you old rogue you!' She said mischievously. 'I always said that you two ought to be together, but I never thought for one moment that you actually would.' She added.

'Well thank you Mrs Patmore; I think it may have come as quite a shock to a few people.' Elsie said with a large smile to her friend who left the newlyweds as Ella then approached them.

'Mr and Mrs Carson, I do hope you are having a good time.' She said formally, both to keep up appearances and to have a little laugh with her parents, who smiled knowingly at her.

'Yes thank you Milady, this really is lovely.' Elsie said with a smile at her daughter and a glint in her eye.

Ella then quickly glanced around her to make sure that no one else was listening and was glad to see that everyone was far too preoccupied notice what she was up to.

'Do you think it would be possible to have a word with you both later? There's something that I'd like to talk to you about, but only when you're ready.' She whispered with a smile before they were interrupted by Anna and Mr Bates, who wanted to offer their words of congratulations, which meant that Ella then had to vacate the area to go in search of her mama and papa, who were still dancing together.

'Might I interrupt you for a moment?' She whispered to them as they stopped dancing for a few moments. 'In private if that is alright; perhaps we could go into the drawing room.' She explained as she led them away without anyone noticing the interruption.

Cora and Robert followed her, a little concerned by this sudden interruption to their otherwise pleasant evening and they genuinely had no idea about what joy Ella was about to give them.

'Is everything alright my darling?' Cora asked once they were in the privacy of the drawing room as she held her daughter tight around the shoulders.

'Oh yes Mama, everything is just, well it's simply marvellous!' Ella exclaimed, barely able to contain herself and Cora and Robert looked at her with anticipation. 'Perhaps you should both sit down.' She added and watched as her parents sat.

'What is it my little one?' Robert asked with his brow furrowed.

'Well I wanted to tell you both first before I told anyone else,' she said, hoping that she might be forgiven for her white lie, 'and you must swear not to tell anyone else until Henry and I are ready.' She explained as she saw the look of excitement form on Cora's face as she realised what it was Ella was about to tell them.

'Is it really true my darling?' She exclaimed, barely able to control herself and contain her excitement.

'It is Mama; I'm pregnant!' Ella said quietly, but with as much delight and excitement as if she was saying the words for the very first time and both Robert and Cora felt elated.

'Oh my baby this really is wonderful; I'm to be a grandmother, our first grandchild!' She said as she held her daughter close and had tears of joy threatening to spill down her cheeks.

'Congratulations my little one; this news truly is cause for celebration!' Robert added as he smiled from ear to ear.

'Thank you Papa; oh you are both going to be such wonderful grandparents!' Ella said with a happy, teary smile. 'There is just one thing I would like to speak to you both about though, and perhaps now isn't the best time, but I wanted to discuss it with you both sooner rather than later. You see, I've made the decision that I would like Mr and Mrs Carson to be actively involved in my child's life and I don't mean in the background. I would like my child to know that they are its grandparents and I would like them to be allowed to play that role to him or her. I don't want my child to be placed in the same position I was; to be lied to, even though it was for my own good, I don't want my child to one day suddenly discover that the reason our butler and housekeeper were so invested in them, was because they are their grandparents too.' Ella explained and she hoped she managed to explain it in a way that didn't sound bitter or angry about what had happened between her, her parents and her mam, but so that they could understand that she wanted things to be very different.

'Of course you want things to be different…' Cora began to say, but Robert interrupted her.

'Perhaps you are right Ella and we should discuss this in more detail another time.' He said with all the happiness he had felt a few moments ago gone from his voice.

'Certainly Papa; but I am so very happy that I could share this with you tonight, it's going to make tomorrow all the more special!' Ella said with a slightly despondent tone at first, but it soon grew back to conveying her delight.

'I think we should re-join the party before we are missed; but this really is the most wonderful news my little one, most wonderful.' Robert said as they all stood and began to make their way towards the door, just as the band began to play one of the more energetic Scottish ceilidh dances.

'Oh it's the dashing white sergeant; this is one of my favourites!' Ella exclaimed with excitement as they walked back into the room and towards Elsie and Charlie, who looked a little uncertain about himself, but Elsie looked to be in her element.

'Ella make sure you take care, we don't want you over tiring yourself, especially not now.' Robert warned.

'Don't worry Papa, I promise you that I will take extra special care of myself.' She replied as she gave her papa a gentle kiss to the cheek before leaving them to join in the fun.

'I'm afraid I'm not so familiar with this one.' She heard Charlie say to Elsie as she approached them.

'Oh this one is easy enough to do Mr Carson; I'm most certain that Mrs Hugh…I mean, Mrs Carson and I can show you how; if you're willing that is?' Ella said and she gave a small laugh as she corrected herself to use the housekeeper's new title.

'Well, anything for you Milady; although I may live to regret this.' He replied with a smile as he took a hold of his wife's and daughter's hands and moved forward to form a set with Jimmy, Daisy and Alfred.

Robert stood next to Cora as they watched their youngest daughter laughing and smiling as she danced and he felt the grip of Cora's hand on his arm tighten slightly.

'What is it darling?' She asked with concern as she looked up at him and he gave a big sigh.

'I was just thinking about our situation with Ella and about her relationship with Mrs Hughes; is it silly of me to worry that we might be getting pushed aside by her affection for her natural mother?' He asked in silent whispers and Cora took a few moments to truly look at her daughter.

'I don't think Ella would ever let that be the case Robert, but we have to understand that it's natural for her to want to find some form of normality in her relationship with Mrs Hughes and for her to want to Mrs Hughes to be a part of her child's life with as little complication as possible.' Cora explained.

'Perhaps you are right, but I still can't help but feel that we are losing her in some way.' He replied despondently.

'Robert have you not realised yet how clever Ella has been? She has managed to create two very separate lives for herself to deal with this situation and she does manage to keep them apart. When you look at her with us and with her sisters, she's the Ella that we have always known and loved; but when she's with Mrs Hughes she becomes a very different person. Perhaps she becomes the person she would have been had Mrs Hughes been the one to raise her, I don't know, but either way, she is still our little girl who loves and respects us; surly that is the most important thing?' Cora explained wisely, having forced herself months ago to come to terms with her relationship with her daughter and the knowledge of the relationship Ella shared with Elsie.

Robert felt unable to reply to his wife, but nodded his head slightly as he continued to watch their daughter and smiled slightly as he thought about their first grandchild, which did at least put his mind slightly at ease.

Halfway through the night Sybil and Ella presented Charlie and Elsie with the cake they had made them, which had been beautifully decorated by Daisy, pieces of which were passed around everyone, until, eventually, as the night wore on, more and more people departed for their beds. As Charlie and Elsie went to bid everyone goodnight themselves, Ella approached them to deliver a couple of final surprises.

'Ella, we're going to head up to bed; no doubt we'll have an early start in the morning and if I don't go to bed now I'll never make it up.' Elsie whispered to her daughter as they sheltered in a corner away from everyone else, as Charlie then approached them as well.

'Well before you go up, there's something I would like to tell you.' She replied as she stifled a yawn and led them slightly further away from the remaining few.

'What's this?' Charlie asked as he looked at her with paternal tenderness.

'Well, Mam actually already knows, but I wanted to tell you tonight Dad before Henry and I don't the rest of our family…well, we've already told our parents, but I wanted to tell you just now. Not only have you gained a wife and a daughter today, but you are soon to be a granddaddy too.' She whispered and watched as Charlie sighed deeply and embraced his daughter tightly.

'Oh Ella I don't know what to say, except you are going to be a wonderful mother.' He whispered to her and he happened to glance at Elsie, who was once again on the verge of happy tears as she heard Ella deliver the news again.

Now that everyone knew, as Henry had managed to tell his parents during the night as well, Ella could rest easy, that the most important people in her life knew her most wonderful news. It was now time for just one last surprise for her mam and dad.

'Before you both go to bed, Sybbie and I have one very last surprise for you.' She said as Sybil appeared by her side.

'We need you both to close your eyes tightly and no peeking!' Sybil ordered with a hint of sleep deprivation evident in her voice, as she took a hold of Charlie's hand and Ella took a hold of Elsie's and they led them down the corridor.

'Ella, what on earth are you girls up to?' Elsie asked hesitantly as she did as her daughter had instructed her and allowed herself to be guided.

'You will see in a moment.' Ella replied as they finally came to a stop and Elsie heard a door handle turn and a door creek open, before they were led a few more steps before stopping again. Ella waited for Sybil and Charlie to enter the room before she spoke again. 'Alright you can both open your eyes now.' She whispered as she stood next to her mam with her hands resting on her shoulders.

'We didn't think it was right that you should be made to sleep apart on your first night as husband and wife, so we made this room up for you.' Sybil explained as was relieved to see the look of surprise and delight appear on both Charlie's and Elsie's faces.

Elsie looked around the room, which was filled with the warm, soft glow from the dozens of candles around the room, the only light available, and the sweet scent of the cut flowers that were placed strategically placed around the room.

'Oh Ella this is lovely!' She exclaimed.

'Well it's yours from now until you move into your cottage, so that you can be together.' Ella explained and then inclined her head to her twin. 'Right, now I truly am exhausted and in need of sleep, so we will bid you goodnight.' She said as she kissed her dad on the cheek. 'Goodnight Dad, sleep well.' She whispered, which made Charlie inhale deeply and puff out his chest with pride.

'Goodnight my darling daughter; sweet dreams and thank you for everything.' He whispered as he embraced her tightly.

As Sybil stepped forward to then say goodnight to Charlie, Ella took the chance to say a couple of final words to her mam, who now held her in a tight embrace.

'I hope this is alright for you mam, I just wanted things to be really special for you; but if…well if…if it all proves to be too much for you, I made up the bed in the dressing room.' Ella explained a little awkwardly, unsure of how to approach the subject and Elsie couldn't respond but nodded silently, before kissing her daughter on the head.

The two sisters then walked out of the room and headed for their own bedrooms down the hall, delighted to be getting there at last and leaving the newlyweds to enjoy their wedding night.


	9. Chapter 9

Elsie and Charlie looked lovingly at each other as the door to their new bedroom closed to, as the two girls left them. Elsie felt her heart beat nervously in her chest and she didn't feel sure what to do next, but neither did Charlie. There was an awkward silence between them, which neither of them wanted, but it was going to take one of them to be brave and make that first move.

'We don't have to do this you know, we never have to do anything that you don't want to do.' Charlie said as he chose to be the first to break the mood and he spoke tentatively to his wife, but with a tone that conveyed so much love and admiration for the woman that he loved and adored above all others.

He watched as Elsie took a few steps towards him and rested her hands on his chest as she tried to find the words to tell him exactly how she felt and what she wanted. She knew that she wanted this, more than she thought that she ever could have, but she was nervous and it was tarnishing the moment.

'Mr Carson…Charlie, there is nothing I have ever wanted more than to be with you, the way I do now. I cannot guarantee that it's going to be easy for me, but I do know that I can trust you, more than I have ever trusted anyone else in my life and there is so very much that I want to share with you, including this,' she said as she moved a little closer to him and he wrapped her into his arms in a warm and very loving embrace, but he still couldn't bring himself to say everything that he wanted to tell her.

He dipped his head lower and kissed her tenderly, hoping that it would at least convey some of his love and the comfort that he offered her and the kiss soon deepened. This time their kiss seemed very different, as they no longer had to fear being caught or being accused of impropriety as they were now married, at long last, and in a private room of their own and on their wedding night. Charlie soon slowed the kiss down again and placed his forehead against hers.

'We will take it very slowly; I'll go entirely at your pace and if you need to stop at any time, just let me know, alright?' He whispered and she gently nodded her head as she felt her nerves mix with excitement inside her. She placed a gentle kiss to his lips, barely touching him at all, before she removed herself entirely from his embrace and disappeared into the dressing room.

She peered tentatively inside and looked at the neatly made bed, which Ella had indeed made up for them, just in case, and her daughter had also, very kindly, laid out their night things for them, which she passed out to Charlie, before closing the door behind her. She couldn't help but think how neat the bed was and what a good job Ella had made of it. If she hadn't been a Lady she would have made a very good housemaid, Elsie thought, which made her laugh lightly.

As she sat on the edge of the bed and began to remove her shoes and stockings, the thought of her daughter made her mind drift back to that fateful night and she tried desperately hard not to think about it. Tonight wasn't going to be like that, tonight was going to be wonderful. It was going to be an act of love and pleasure for her, not the vile, degrading actions she had experienced all those years ago. She kept telling herself this, over and over again as she allowed her dress to drop to the floor. Now sat in just her corset, her mind began to wander and race once more, her heart thumped painfully hard and her stomach felt to be doing somersaults. She tried desperately hard to get a grip of herself, but it was proving to be rather difficult.

Suddenly, there was a gentle tap on the door which made her jump, as the deep, loving voice filtered into her from the other side.

'Elsie are you alright in there?' Charlie asked with concern and she realised that she'd been sat staring into space for almost ten minutes.

'Yes…yes I'm fine; I'll be out in just a second.' She said as she quickly snapped back into the here and now, slipped on her nightdress and released her long hair from the pins that Ella had placed in it earlier that day. She quickly checked her reflection in the mirror before slowly opening the door and saw him standing in his red striped pyjamas, waiting for her.

He smiled nervously at her and took in the beauty of her appearance; the way her long wavy hair sat down her back and around her face, the way her nightdress clung to her womanly form. Although he had always been attracted to her and thought her to be a real beauty, he had never seen her looking like this before and it made him fall even more in love with her.

He took a few steps towards her and enveloped her in his arms and gave her a loving, reassuring smile. He kissed her forehead and then moved to her lips as he felt her hands snake their way up his chest.

'I've never seen you look more attractive than you do just now Elsie; I am one very lucky man indeed.' He complimented and she gave him a very shy smile in return. He could feel her body shivering beneath his hold and he was unsure whether this was nerves or because she was cold.

He slowly rubbed his hand up and down the top of her bare arm as he tried to find the words to make his suggestion, without sounding forward or presumptuous. She happened to notice his nervousness and felt comfort in the knowledge that she wasn't the only one who felt a little out of place, but now that she was in his arms, she felt a little more reassured, a little more confident and a little more at ease that everything was going to be alright.

'Shall we…I mean…would you like to…' Charlie stammered nervously, but this time, it was her who placed her hand comfortingly on his forearm and spoke words of comfort.

'Yes let's; this room might be the nicest in the house, but it certainly isn't the warmest.' She said as she stepped away from him and they made their way over to the bed, pulled back the many layers and shivered their way into them.

They wriggled around for a few moments as they tried to make themselves comfortable, the cold of the sheets making their skin erupt in goosebumps until the heat from their bodies warmed them up. As they settled down and rested against the cool pillows, they looked lovingly at each other, with nervous anticipation for what was about to come.

With too much distance between them, Elsie shimmied over a few centimeters until their bodies were practically touching. She ran her hand over his chest up to his top button, where she began to play with it, a gesture that they both found to be pretty comforting. Her eyes glanced up from her fingers and met with his, which had been watching her intently.

'Are you alright?' He whispered lovingly as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

'Hmmm,' she said sleepily as she began to relax more in her new surroundings. 'It seems strange to be sharing a bed with someone.' She commented with a slight smile as she continued to fiddle with his top button.

'Would you rather be alone?' He asked uncertainly.

'No, Mr Carson; it wasn't a complaint, just an observation.' She said and then they both smirked when they realised that she had called him Mr Carson. 'Heavens, I think it's going to take quite a while for me to get used to calling you Charlie.' She laughed.

'Likewise,' he agreed and finally, it seemed that they had both ran out of things to say, to stall their passion any longer and as if fate was giving them a helping hand, the top button Elsie had been playing with all this time, finally popped open, revealing just a little more of his chest and a couple of greying curls of chest hair.

He reached up his hand to brush some of her hair from her face and gently caressed her cheek as he then placed his lips to hers. They kissed slowly and tenderly as they enjoyed the sensation of being in each other's arms, all the while caressing each other and exploring their bodies. He still maintained his gentlemanly demeanour though, ensuring that he never over stepped the mark or rushed her into anything.

He wanted tonight to be so very special for her, well for them both, as he had waited such a long time to be with her and for this moment, but he could tell by the way that she was responding to him that she wasn't yet ready for it to happen. As much as he wanted to show her what it felt like to be truly loved and valued, he knew that he couldn't rush her, but he did feel a slight change in her and that was a positive sign.

As they continued to kiss she moved herself a little closer to him, so that, although they were still laid slightly on their sides, he was now a little more on top of her. She felt his hand that hand been caressing her back, move slightly lower down and at his movement she felt her breath hitch in her throat and he felt her body tense. He stopped kissing her to look at her and make sure that she was alright.

'Is everything alright Elsie? Am I…am I moving too fast for you?' He whispered.

She thought about it for a few moments and cursed herself for feeling so silly about it all. He was her husband, the love of her life and the kindest most loving man she knew; of course it was alright for him to move his hand down her back, but she still felt a bit unsure and he could see that that was the case, but that she was too unsure of herself to say so.

'It's alright; you can tell me when you don't feel comfortable. I shan't continue unless I'm absolutely certain that you are happy.' He said and he felt guilty when he saw tears forming in her eyes. He was about to pull away from her to give her some space when she stopped him.

'No, don't stop,' she whispered back as she wiped away her tears. 'I'm sorry Charlie; you must think me a silly old fool.' She said as she forced him to remain where he was, with her wrapped in his arms.

'Elsie Carson, I think you neither silly nor a fool and I certainly don't think you are old.' He replied with a soft smile as he began to slowly draw small circles against the small of her back, which, this time, she found to be comforting and relaxing.

'It sounds so wonderful to hear those words…Elsie Carson, that is. I have to keep reminding myself that I'm now your wife.' She smiled, which he returned.

He placed a couple of chaste kisses to her lips and then down her jaw line to just below her ear and it felt so sensual that she felt her eyes flutter close slightly and her head tilt back just a little and she thought about how very easy it would be to get lost in the moment at this time. As he continued to place light kisses to her neck, he began to whisper sweet nothings into her ear, things that he had always dreamed of saying to her, but never felt that he could until now and this time he felt her body change beneath his, she was beginning to relax into his touch.

'Would you feel comfortable for me to place my hand on your hip?' He whispered, without interrupting his kisses to her neck and she gasped back her reply to him.

'Yes,' she whispered breathlessly and it made him smile to see and hear her enjoying herself and to know that he was the cause.

This time his hand slipped effortlessly down her back and over her hip, which made her writhe below him and he felt one of her hands, which had been resting on his shoulders, sneak up his back and into his hair. She had to admit to herself, that now she was a little more relaxed in his hold, that his touches were so soft and gentle and yet they were strong, masculine and commanding at the same time and she could feel her body begin to ache for more. He felt her readjust her position, so he halted his caresses and kisses for a few moments to allow her to make herself comfortable again and was taken slightly aback once she had finished and had then pulled him back to her, so that he was now laid on top of her.

Once again he rested for a few moments, to give her time to get used to this close development and to give him time to catch his breath, but he could feel her fidgeting beneath him and his brow creased in concern.

'Is everything alright Elsie?' He asked as he tenderly brushed her cheek.

'Yes, yes…or at least it would be, but my legs are feeling rather restricted.' She said as she tried to make herself comfortable, but she found the bottom of her nightdress to be forcing her legs into a position that wasn't particularly comfortable.

'Oh I see,' Charlie whispered with a small laugh. 'Well we can soon fix that; if you want to that is?' He said as his laugh became a little more serious and she felt his hand slowly run down her hip to her thigh, where he began to pull up the bottom of her nightdress. He shivered slightly at the sensation of her shapely legs, which were very muscular from all the years of walking round the Abbey and up and down stairs. He kept watching her intently, ensuring that her eyes gave him no indication that she was uncomfortable with his actions, but he suddenly felt her hand over his once he had pushed her nightdress up as high as her waist and he stopped instantly.

'That's high enough Charlie; I'm not ready for you to see…well, all of me yet, I'm sorry.' She whispered and once again he gave her that loving, reassuring smile that he'd given her so many times tonight.

'That's perfectly alright my love; it needn't go any higher than that.' He said as he gave her a tender kiss as he repositioned himself again. As he did so, he felt one of her, now free, legs bend up to his hip and he wondered if she would mind if he ran his hand over the smooth skin of her thigh once more.

He carefully placed his hand on her knee and they watched each other as he ran his hand very slowly up her thigh, brushing against her hip and then coming to rest against the soft, supple skin of her stomach. A small part of her felt uncomfortable with this, but she knew that she would have to fight against some of her discomfort if this was ever going to work. His hand now sat flat against her ribs, just below her left breast and he wasn't going to go any higher than that; he resumed his attention to her lips, whilst his thumb gently caressed her skin. Her hands continued to roam his neck and in his hair, but she suddenly felt the need to feel more of him than his pyjama shirt was offering her.

Her hands slowly moved from the back of his neck to his chest, where her delicate fingers worked the buttons, popping them open one by one to reveal more of his muscular chest and broad shoulders, as she pushed the garment from him and allowed it to fall to the floor. She had known that he was muscular from the way he had felt beneath the thin material, but she hadn't realised just quite how toned he really was for a man of his age. She assumed that it was down to all the years of carrying trays, lifting boxes and carrying out all of those other duties as the butler of the house.

Her hands ran over his bare back, over his smooth shoulders and down his chest. She enjoyed the sensation of his chest hair beneath her fingers and he enjoyed the feeling of her running her fingers through it. He kissed her passionately and was delighted that she was kissing him back, as they both ran their hands over their freed skin, until, finally, it seemed that they had the same thought, as both of their hands reached the waist band of the other's lower garments.

Once again Charlie stopped his kissing of his wife to ensure that what he was doing was right and that she was truly ready for the next step; as desperate as his urge was becoming, he would not rush her into anything that she wasn't ready for and he knew that this next step would be probably one of the biggest steps for her to take, a hurdle that he wasn't convinced that she was truly ready to get over.

He looked into her eyes and ran his fingers lightly over the waist band of her underwear, seeking permission from her, which took a few moments for her to agree to. She nodded her head slightly, as she placed her hand on to his cheek as she gently caressed him and watched him intently. As with every other movement he had made, he began to peel away her underwear slowly, giving her the opportunity to object if she needed to, but she didn't; even though he felt her tense up slightly as he moved down her legs. He tried not to look, once her underwear was removed, he didn't think she would appreciate that and she did take note of this and she was grateful for his tact.

Finally, the last piece of clothing between their most intimate areas was Charlie's pyjama bottoms, on which Elsie's other hand, still hovered. There was very little space between them now and she could feel him pressing slightly against her. So as to avoid making her feel uncomfortable, he had placed one hand underneath her shoulder and he was caressing her hair and face with the other, avoiding touching her inappropriately; but now it was time for her to take that final leap of faith and to allow herself to truly be with him. As she pushed them down slightly, her hand sitting on his hip bone, she felt his hand covering hers.

'Are you absolutely certain?' He whispered.

'I've never been more certain about anything in my whole life.' She whispered back with true conviction and she watched as he skilfully removed his trousers.

Now there were no longer any material barriers between them and she could feel him firm against her as he rested on top of her once again. Both of their hearts were beating furiously, a mix of passion and nerves as they resumed their kissing and they both knew what was going to happen next, but Elsie knew that it was going to have to be him who took the lead and he knew that he would have to wait for the perfect moment.

He resumed his kissing of her neck, his lips finding the area that had caused her so much arousal before and his hands slowly worked their way over her body as she allowed her hands to roam his again. Her breath quickened in her throat and once again she could barely keep her eyes open. He paused for a very brief moment, before taking that final step.

She felt him as he slowly pushed into her and he feared that it may all be too much for her, but as their bodies joined together into one, she finally felt complete, as if her missing piece from her jigsaw had been found. He laid on top of her for a few moments and stared lovingly into her eyes as she gently caressed his hair. Once he felt reassured that she was completely at ease with him, he began to move his hips slowly and sensually, motions which began to stir pleasure within Elsie that she never thought was possible.

As they made love to each other, Elsie's past suddenly seemed to melt away and she became a different person. As she let her passion consume her, her hips raised to meet with his, their breaths seemed to become synchronized and her gentle moans in his ear told him that all was well. He was such a gentle lover, desperate to please her, to show her love and tenderness, but eager not to hurt her. But he could never hurt her, not now all of her fears and anxieties had drifted off into the night and she welcomed him with trust, love and passion.


	10. Chapter 10

Christmas morning dawned with bright, wintery sunlight streaming through Ella and Henry's windows, casting beams of light onto her face as she laid in the arms of her husband who was still fast asleep behind her. As her eyes fluttered open, she glanced out of the window and watched as a flock of geese flew over the house. Although she couldn't hear them, she smiled as she thought about the sound they made, as it was one of her favourite sounds.

Henry also began to wake once he felt his wife stir beside him and he brushed back her honey coloured hair from her face and gently kissed her cheek and neck.

'Merry Christmas my darling,' he whispered and she smiled as she turned round in his hold to face him, her lips mere inches from his.

'Merry Christmas!' She replied with glee as his hand rested on their unborn baby.

'It's funny to think that this is our first Christmas together and our last on our own.' He commented and she furrowed her brow.

'What do you mean? We were together last Christmas,'

'No my darling, we were writing to each other last Christmas, when I was still trying to win your affections and you were still trying to put me off; remember?' He replied.

'Ah yes, I'm so glad those days are long behind us.' She said with a smile as he then kissed her and she cupped his cheek.

Down the hallway Elsie and Charlie were also wrapped up in each other's arms, having fallen asleep in blissful harmony. Like her daughter, Elsie was the first one to stir and as she opened her eyes, they fell on the sweet, loveable face of her new husband and it suddenly dawned on her that this would be how she would spend the rest of her life, waking up to the beautiful man beside her.

She stifled a laugh as she watched his head fall back ever so slightly and a soft snore escaped from his lips and his arms seemed to pull her closer to him. Their wonderfully intimate night together had done something so special for Elsie that she would never have imagined it possible for her to feel the way she did now; free. She had a new found confidence in herself and in him and she longed for the moment when she could experience him again as she had done the previous night.

As the light brightened outside and sounds could be heard around the house, Elsie suddenly remembered that it was Christmas Day; her first one as Mrs Carson and her first one with her daughter. Of course she knew that she and her husband would be working, as they had done for twenty-five years, but this year was going to be very different, regardless.

She gently caressed his face until he stirred and she laughed slightly as he grumpily swatted her away, unaware as to exactly what it was that was disturbing him, but as he came round from his slumber, he became more aware of his surroundings and aware of the woman that was laid beside him.

Without opening his eyes he hummed happily, a smile spreading across his face as he trailed his fingers lightly over her arm. She then turned round to face the wall and shuffled backwards and towards him. He sleepily opened one eye to watch her and he smiled even broader when he felt her lift up his arm and wrap it around her own waist, with her hand resting over his. There was a definite change in her from the way she had been the previous night; she was still a little tense and some of her movements still seemed a little forced, but she seemed to have a new found confidence or comfort that she hadn't had the night before.

He nestled his chin against her shoulder and they laid together like that, in silence, a long time before Elsie spoke.

'We ought to go down to breakfast; Mrs Patmore will be dishing it out and you'll need to get ready to serve the family.' She said but made no real effort to make a move.

For the first time in his working life, Charlie struggled with the idea of getting out of bed and going down to work. He would have given anything to have been allowed to stay there with his wife all day, just holding her in his arms, but he knew that, eventually, they would have to get up; but not just yet.

'Are you quite alright this morning? After last night I mean; I don't want you to being feeling any remorse or anything.' He whispered tenderly into her ear and he felt her shiver slightly as his breath tickled her neck.

'Last night was simply wonderful,' she whispered back and she gave his arm a loving squeeze to reassure him and nestled herself further into his side.

As the other staff began to stir, Mrs Patmore and Daisy were already hard at it, preparing the breakfast things for the staff and for the family. At first they were too busy to notice that Lady Aurelia had entered the kitchen and she gave them a fright when she spoke to them, announcing her presence.

'I do apologise for interrupting Mrs Patmore, I know that you are very busy,' she said as she stood at the doorway to the kitchens, just opposite the door to her mam's sitting room, and the cook stopped what she was doing immediately, to stand to attention in Ella's presence. 'I was just wondering if it might be possible that you could make up a tray for Mr and Mrs Carson. I don't mind taking it to them myself, if you don't mind Daisy giving me a hand, but I thought that it might be nice for them to have breakfast in bed on their first morning together.' She explained with her very formal tone.

'Of course I can do that for you Milady; I've just finished preparing our breakfast.' Mrs Patmore said as she and Daisy then set about putting items on to two plates and making a pot of tea for them. They then placed everything on to two trays, which Mrs Patmore thought would be far too heavy for Lady Aurelia to carry, but, none the less, she seemed determined to play the maid.

'Thank you Mrs Patmore that is most kind of you,' she said as she lifted the lighter of the two trays and began to walk out of the room. 'Oh and Mrs Patmore, happy Christmas.' She added with a smile.

'You've done so many nice things for Mrs Hughes and Mr Carson Milady,' Daisy said as she led Ella through the back passages and out on to the gallery corridor.

'Well Daisy, I've known Mr and Mrs Carson a very long time, well, my whole life in fact and they've always been so very kind to me; it only seems right that the one time that they deserve to be spoilt and treated, that I should be the one that does it.' Ella explained as they finally reached Charlie and Elsie's bedroom. She tapped lightly on the door and called through to them. 'Mr and Mrs Carson, it's Lady Aurelia,' she said and hoped that they took her words to mean that she wasn't alone and was unable to speak freely.

As Daisy and Ella stood waiting, they heard Elsie's voice call through to them; 'Just a minute,' she called and after a few seconds Ella heard her mam's feet padding across the room until she got to the door, which then swung open to reveal Elsie in her dressing gown, looking the epitomy of respectability.

'Milady this is a pleasant surprise.' She said formally as she stepped aside to let Ella and Daisy through with the trays.

'Well Mrs Carson, I thought you both might appreciate the treat of having breakfast in bed this morning.' Ella replied with her formal lady's tone and her back straight and her demeanour commanding the upmost respect. 'I thought it would perhaps give you more time before you are needed downstairs.' She added as she and Daisy put the trays down on the table under the window. 'Thank you for your assistance Daisy.' She said kindly to the young kitchen maid and politely dismissed her.

The family of three waited until they thought Daisy was far away from their room, before finally dropping their guard and allowed themselves to return to their normal family life.

'Sorry about that Mam, but I needed help carrying the trays up to you.' Ella said, her tone completely different to how it had been before, as she stole a piece of toast from her dad's plate and placed it in her mouth.

'Cheeky!' He laughed as he watched her mischievous grin.

As Daisy walked back into the kitchen, her brow was furrowed in concentration and Mrs Patmore noticed the change in her mood and that something was clearly playing on her mind.

'What is it?' She asked sharply.

'What's what?' Daisy replied with confusion.

'Whatever it is that's on your mind!' Mrs Patmore replied impatiently.

'Oh it's nothing; it's just that, well Lady Aurelia has always been very kind to us, but she just seems especially kind to Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes. She's done a lot for them, that's all.' Daisy explained innocently as she then carried on with her work, oblivious to the thoughts she had implanted into Mrs Patmore's head.

She'd never given it too much thought, but now that Daisy mentioned it, the arrangement between the butler, housekeeper and Lady Aurelia did seem unusual. When they thought that everyone else had gone up to bed, Mrs Patmore had occasionally seen Lady Aurelia sneaking into the housekeeper's sitting room, then she was the only guest at the wedding and sometimes Mrs Hughes would sneak off for hours on end with no word of where she had been. If asked, she would be honest and say she'd been with Lady Aurelia, but the explanation she would give was that Lady Aurelia was unwell and needed caring for. Even Mr Carson seemed to facilitate some sort of secret rendez vous between Mrs Hughes and Lady Aurelia.

If anyone came looking for the housekeeper, on occasion, Mr Carson would step in and dissuade them, before taking over whatever task it was that they needed doing. Yes, now that she thought about Daisy's words, the questions that Mrs Patmore had been pushing to the back of her mind seemed to swim to the forefront; but it was none of her business and as much as her curiosity wanted to get the better of her, it wasn't her place for it to do so.

Now that the family of three were alone, they were able to enjoy some of their Christmas morning together. They all sat on the bed finishing the lovely breakfast that Mrs Patmore had prepared and they talked openly about Ella's pregnancy and about the fact that Charlie and Elsie were to be grandparents.

'I still can't quite believe it, I can't believe I'm to be a grandmother; well, sometimes I still can't quite believe that I'm a mother, but the thought of having a grandchild is just wonderful!' Elsie said which put a large smile on the faces of her husband and daughter.

'Well you had better start believing it; you're already ready a wonderful mother and my baby is going to be so very lucky to have you both as its grandparents.' Ella replied as she instinctively placed her hand over her stomach.

'How are you feeling this morning? I hope you are taking care of yourself Ella; had I known about this yesterday then I would have made you take it easier.' Charlie said a little sternly, but with paternal concern.

'Oh Dad, stop worrying! I am perfectly fine, a little tired perhaps, but nothing unusual.' Ella replied with a smile. 'Anyway, I'd better get ready; we'll be opening our presents soon enough. I'll see you both downstairs.' She said as she kissed them on the cheek and left them to get ready themselves.

'Oh what a girl she is,' Charlie said as he shook his head lightly. 'I can see that we'll have to make sure she takes it easy.' He explained.

'Quite probably, but then again she will soon feel herself slowing down naturally; as she grows she will learn that she can't do all of things that she does now.' Elsie replied as she tidied their breakfast things onto the tray.

'Hmmm,' Charlie responded in thought as he stared lovingly at her.

'What are you looking at?' She asked with a small smile.

'You,' he said. 'I was just wondering what you looked like when you were expecting.' He sighed.

'Ah I see,' she smiled knowingly as she joined him on the bed again. 'Well Ella wasn't a particularly big baby, so I was very neat, but I did used to get very tired very easily, so I was very grateful that Lady Grantham used to allow me plenty of time to rest.' She explained happily, as she settled herself against his chest. 'Believe it or not I did actually quite enjoy being pregnant, except late at night when I was trying to get to sleep. I would just be drifting off when Ella would suddenly decide to waken; she used to dig me so hard in the ribs she would knock the wind out of me.'

Charlie gave a low chuckle deep within his chest at her comment, as he imagined what she must have looked like, but it saddened him to think of her going through it all alone, the good times and the sad.

'And was everything well, were you well, I mean?' He asked caringly. There were so many questions that he wanted to ask her about all of the elements of her life that he hadn't been part of.

'Yes everything went well; as I say, she was a bit on the small side, but she was healthy and happy and that was the most important thing. There was a moment when I thought I was going to lose her though. It was my own fault really, I shouldn't have been so stupid. It was shortly after I had found out I was expecting and I was still trying to carry on as normal. I was walking down the staircase at Levinson House, carrying far too much, and I lost my balance of course and fell down them from half way. I was sore for days afterwards and had a lovely horseshoe shaped rainbow across stomach, but the worst part was the stomach cramps I got. I truly thought that I was going to miscarry and I think it was at that moment that I realised that, despite how she came to be, my love for my baby was truly unconditional and I felt so stupid for putting her at risk.' She explained to him sadly and he instinctively wrapped his arm around her waist and placed his hand on her stomach as he thought about what had happened. Although she was a lot more relaxed in his hold than she previously had been, he could still feel her tense up in his arms at his touch, but she made no other indication she felt uncomfortable, so he remained in the position that he was in.

'Well I'm certainly glad that it all worked out in the end; she truly is a remarkable young woman, we're very lucky.' He said.

'Yes she is, isn't she? I'm very proud of her and I think she's going to be a wonderful mother and I'm delighted that we will be able to be grandparents.' She smiled happily. 'Have you decided what you are going to be called?'

'I haven't given it much thought; but I take it that you have?'

'Certainly I have; I began thinking about it as soon as the words had left Ella's lips.' She replied with a small laugh. 'I want our grandchild to call me granny and I'll even allow, Granny Elsie if we need differentiation.'

'Hmmm, it suits you Elsie; well then, I guess I better start thinking, although I did quite like it when Ella referred to me as granddaddy last night.'

'I think granddaddy would suit you nicely.' She said as she turned round in his hold to look at him, caressing his face with her free hand and looking at him with a smile, until he interrupted her.

'Elsie,' he said simply.

'Mmmm?'

'Don't you think we'd better get moving? They'll be sending out a search party for us.' He said regrettably and she sighed deeply.

'Aye, I suppose.' She said as she got up out of the bed, closely followed by him.

The family all began to gather in the entrance hall beside the big tree, each of them having opened their own presents. Ella had received a stunning new dress from her parents, a scarf from Mary and Matthew, a book from Edith and a necklace with matching earrings from Henry. She was delighted by all of her gifts, but the best one of all was the one she had received from Sybil.

Sybil had presented her twin with several photographs in stunning silver frames, but it was the contents of the photos that made the gift the most special. The photos had been taken whilst they had been away on holiday in London for Henry and Ella's honeymoon. There was a photograph of Ella and her mam together, holding onto each other tightly and smiling happily as Charlie who had taken the picture. The there was a photograph of Ella, Elsie and Sybil together, again, holding on lovingly on to each other. The next photograph was of the twins themselves, which had captured the perfect moment they had burst into fits of laughter at something Elsie had said, and then, finally, the last photograph was of Ella, Sybil, Charlie and Elsie, standing side by side, smiling happily in the perfect family picture.

Sybil had given them to her twin in private before they had gone downstairs to join the rest of their family, as she knew that Ella wouldn't truly be able to enjoy the beauty of the gift with the others watching.

'Oh Sybbie, these are stunning…I don't know what to say!' Ella had exclaimed with tears in her eyes as she looked through the photos. 'Thank you so much and thank you for always being so supportive of us and of my relationship with my mother; it does mean so much to me.'

'Of course Aurie, they're my family too!' Sybil replied which made Ella cry all the more.

Now it was the turn of the family to give the staff their gifts, which of course consisted of the usual blankets, material for dressmaking and books; but when Elsie got to Ella, she received something else as well.

Ella handed Elsie a green and white throw, which was held together with gold ribbon, but that wasn't her real present. The real present that Ella was giving her, was sat in a box underneath the blanket.

'Happy Christmas Mrs Carson. I thought you might like the throw for your bedroom in your new cottage.' She said in her normal tone, but then she dropped her voice to a mere whisper, before adding, 'I hope you like what's in the box, Sybbie helped me with it, but don't open it here. It's for yours and Mr Carson's eyes only.' She whispered and Elsie gave her a knowing look.

'Thank you Milady, that's most kind of you.' She replied as she then moved on, completely unaware that Mrs Patmore, who had been standing nearby, had overheard the exchange and with her interest in them already piqued, this just made her curiosity about her friend grow all the more.


	11. Chapter 11

Elsie really couldn't wait to open her present from Ella, but she was going to have to, since it was time for them all to head out to church. She put the box into her sitting room for safekeeping and then closed the door, meeting with Charlie as he exited his pantry and they both smiled at each other.

'Are you ready Mrs Carson?' He asked her and it felt so strange, yet wonderful, for him to call her Mrs Carson.

'Certainly I am Mr Carson,' she replied with a smile as she placed her hand on his forearm and they walked outside together, into the bitter cold.

Much as they expected, Elsie, Charlie and Ella didn't get to see each other much for the rest of the morning, as Ella had sat near the front of the church with her family, the staff to the back and the long walk home had seen the staff set off first. The staff Christmas dinner, as always, took place in the early afternoon, so Ella didn't feel as if she could interrupt them and, of course, she spent that time with her other family, playing charades and card games, until it was time for their dinner.

'Tell me Carson, how are you finding married life?' Violet asked Charlie with a smile as he walked round the dining table, pouring the family wine and seeing to their dinner.

'It makes for a lovely change Milady,' he smiled as he walked round the table and lent over Cora to pour her some red wine and he happened to glance at Ella who was sat opposite her mother and she gave him a subtle smile.

As Charlie continued to walk round, Ella's attentions turned to her twin, who sat beside her with nervous anticipation and kept occasionally catching Tom's eye as he sat three places down from her, but he looked terrified, which made Ella's heart go out to him. She knew that he was anxious about telling the family, especially Robert and Cora about Sybil's pregnancy. He still got the impression that Robert still hoped Sybil would wake up one day and realise she'd made a mistake, but she loved and adored Tom and would never let that happen.

'Sybbie, go ahead and make the announcement; what's the worst that can happen? Henry and I don't mind waiting another few days to tell Mary and Edith and the rest of them about our baby; so you go on ahead and enjoy your moment.' Ella whispered to her sister.

'Oh Aurie…well here it goes I guess.' She replied as she then cleared her throat. 'Um, everyone, um, I have something…that is, Tom and I have something that we would like to tell you.' She started nervously and everyone stared at her intently, giving her their full attention. 'I'm pregnant!'

There were cries of delight from Mary and Edith, who were becoming more accustomed to their brother-in-law, but Robert didn't look best pleased. However, Cora was ecstatic!

'Oh this is wonderful news Sybil darling!' She exclaimed as she glanced at her two youngest daughters, both now happily married and pregnant, her first two grandchildren.

There were other murmurs of congratulations from round the table, a couple of toasts and then desert was brought round the table by Charlie, Alfred and Jimmy. As the family ate their pudding, Ella and Sybil chatted about babies and about family life. At the end of their dinner, the men stayed behind in the dining room, whilst the women went into the drawing room. Ella, Cora and Sybil sat huddled together as they whispered excitedly.

'I can't believe you are both pregnant at the same time! I knew you like to do things together girls, but I would never have imagined this!' She joked.

'Shhh Mama, not so loud,' Ella laughed lightly at the excited look on her mother's face. 'It is quite remarkable really when you think about it, but I'm so glad that I won't be alone.'

'As am I,' Sybil replied as she took a sip from her cup of tea and glanced lovingly at her sister.

The men didn't join them until much later than usual, which irritated Ella a little, as she really wanted to say goodnight to her upstairs family and go to her downstairs family; although, once the men came through to the drawing room, Charlie came with them, to continue serving drinks and ensure there was nothing further that the family needed. He was always the professional, of course, but inwardly he was secretly wishing they would all retire for the evening so that he could be with his wife and daughter for the remainder of the evening.

Eventually, at a quarter to ten, Isobel and Violet decided to head home; they were grateful that the driveway had now been cleared of the deep snow by the staff, so that the car could be brought out to take them home.

'Goodnight my dears,' Violet said to the twins as she kissed them both goodnight, having said her goodbyes to the others and then Isobel did the same.

Once they were gone, Cora announced her departure to bed, exhausted after the pleasurable day they had all had. One by one everyone else parted for upstairs too and, finally, Ella could go to her mam and dad, joined, much to her joy, by Sybil.

The two girls crept downstairs, empty of anyone, so Ella hoped that her mam hadn't gone up herself yet; but that wasn't the case. As tired as she was, Elsie wanted to share her time with her daughter and wanted to give her gift to her daughter, so she was delighted when, at long last, she heard the gentle, familiar, tap on her sitting room door.

'About time girls! I was beginning to lose hope that you would ever come down,' she said as she turned round in her desk chair to look at them.

Ella approached her with an apologetic look, placed her arms around her and a gentle kiss on her cheek, which Elsie greatly appreciated, and Ella's display of affection was soon then followed by Sybil, who did the same.

'We did try to get away earlier in the evening; but Granny insisted we play a game of bridge.' Ella explained as she sat on the small arm chair that was beside the fire, as Sybil sat on the sofa.

'That's quite alright, really, it gave me the chance to catch up on my invoices and update our suppliers' lists. So at least now you will have my full attention over the next few days.' She replied with a tired smile. 'Shall I get some tea whilst we wait for Mr Car…I mean, Charlie, to join us?' She had to hide the laugh that was trying to escape her lips at her faux pas, which also made the two girls giggle.

'Yes Mam, tea would be lovely, thank you.' Ella replied as she made herself comfortable and Elsie left to make it.

As they sat in waiting, Charlie finally arrived, looking just as exhausted as the rest of them felt, but he smiled when he saw his daughter and could finally stop tending to her as the butler and starting looking after her as a father.

'I hope you are not planning a late night tonight Ella, or you for that matter Sybil; you both need your rest now that you are both expecting.' He said to the two girls with raised eyebrows and a stern tone.

'We shan't be too late Dad, don't you worry; besides, you and Mam both look dead on your feet, so it would be unkind of us to keep you up much later.' Ella said kindly as she stifled a yawn, determined not to prove her dad right.

In the kitchen Elsie was just waiting for the kettle to boil when Mrs Patmore came in unexpectedly and watched as Elsie laid out four cups and saucers on to a tray and a small jug of milk. She quietly cleared her throat to announce her presence, but Elsie still jumped a little.

'Mrs Patmore?! I didn't realise that anyone else was still awake.' She said as she felt her heart return to its normal pace.

'Well I retired to bed to read my book, but when I got there I realised that I had left my reading glasses down here.' The cook replied with a tired smile. 'Are you and Mr Carson having guests to tea?' She asked as she nodded to the tray and Elsie's blood ran a little cold at her words.

'Perhaps,' she replied casually, trying her hardest to dodge the conversation, but there was a knowing look in Mrs Patmore's eyes that said she knew more than she was letting on.

'Lady Aurelia I presume?' She said with a tone that wasn't with ill feeling, but said in a way that was trying to put the housekeeper at ease. 'Mrs Carson, it's not really my business what goes on between you and any member of the family, so I won't pry; but, I have noticed the relationship you seem to share with her and so have some of the other staff. Daisy, for example, she was asking this morning about what I thought.'

Elsie felt flabbergasted and didn't exactly know what to say to her friend. She was cursing herself for allowing her relationship with her daughter to become so complacent in regards to the other staff, but she wasn't getting the impression from Mrs Patmore that she was saying this with any malice. It was as if she was just saying it as part of an everyday conversation, so Elsie took a hold of Mrs Patmore's hand and smiled politely at her.

'Mrs Patmore, one day I will tell you the truth; but not tonight. Tonight I am going to enjoy my tea with my husband and with…with Lady Aurelia and Lady Sybil.' She had nearly taken the plunge and said "daughter" to the cook, but for now, she couldn't bear to say it and face the barrage of questions that would surly follow.

Mrs Patmore seemed happy with this explanation and gave Mrs Carson a friendly smile, a nod of her head and then bid her goodnight, whilst Elsie then turned her attentions back to the job in hand of making them tea. Whilst doing this task she thought about what Mrs Patmore had said and she decided that she wasn't going to tell the others just yet; but for now her secret was safe a bit longer and she wanted to enjoy what was left of Christmas day with her family.

She returned to her sitting room where they were discussing what Charlie was planning to do with the garden in the springtime. He was telling them about the vegetables and flower he was planning to grow and where he was going to put them and the girls were enjoying listening to him; he had even agreed to teach them a little about what he knew of plants and gardening.

'Right Mam, now that you are here, I think it's present time.' Ella said one Elsie was settled on the sofa beside her husband and having poured the tea. 'I would like you to open mine first, if you would, well, technically, it's from both Sybil and me, as she helped too, but it's for you both.' She explained as she passed the box to Elsie that she hand given to her earlier in the day.

Elsie put down her cup and carefully pulled the lid off the box to reveal a leather bound album, which, when she opened it, had many photographs in. Most of them were of Ella and Sybil playing or at their first dressage with their horses, the first time that they rode bicycles and at their birthdays. The girls had managed to find some of the butler and housekeeper, some of which included them with the girls; but the ones that really caught her attention, were the ones with Ella as a baby, sleeping in her crib, being fed by Elsie or being held by her mam. Those were the ones that really touched Elsie's heart and Charlie's too. He could see how much this gift meant to his wife and it meant a lot to him as well, as it made him feel like he truly had a family in the people he was now surrounded by.

'Oh girls this is absolutely beautiful,' Elsie said as a couple of stray tears trailed their way down her cheeks.

'Well, I remembered a while back that you had said that you didn't have many photographs of me or of us and then I came across some when I happened to be looking for something else. I hope you like it and that it's not painful for you, but I just really wanted to give you something that was special.' Ella explained as she placed a hand over her mam's, who had gone very quiet.

'No, it's not painful Ella, it's just beautiful.' She whispered as she ran a hand over a couple of pictures of Ella when she was aged about two. 'It puts my gift to you to shame.' She added as she then handed Ella and Sybil a beautifully wrapped gift each.

Ella opened hers first and felt a little confused at first, as hundreds of tightly bound letters fell on to her lap and she glanced up at her mam, who was clearly unsure of what Ella would think.

'I want you to read these when you're on your own Ella. You see, I started writing them a few days before you were born and continued to write you one every single day until your first birthday. I still don't know really why I wrote them, as I never intended for you to read them because I never thought you would find out the truth; but seeing as you have learnt the truth, well, it seemed only right that you should read them.' Elsie explained emotionally and Ella swallowed hard as she bit back her tears. She couldn't find the words to reply but gave her mam the biggest hug she could manage, which touched both Sybil and Charlie as they watched them together.

Next, Sybil opened her present, a small wooden box with a dark blue velvet cushion on the inside, protecting a small, silver carousel. She carefully lifted it out and heard it give a slight tinkle as she moved it, so she gave the key underneath a couple of turns, which made the horses turn round and it played a tune that was familiar to both girls, who looked at each other as they listened.

'Oh I know what this is!' Sybil explained. 'Don't you remember Aurie? We used to have one just like it when we were children, but Mary and Edith broke it one day when they were fighting.'

'Of course, how silly of me to forget; I used to love that and could have listened to it for hours. But Mam, wherever did you get it from?'

'I found it in a shop in Thirsk a few weeks ago; it brought back so many happy memories of the three of us that I just had to buy it for you.' Elsie explained with a smile.

The family of four sat and enjoyed looking at their presents and reminiscing over the significance of each present; it wasn't until Elsie's clock struck midnight that they all decided that it was time for them to head to bed. Elsie and Charlie had their usual early start and the girls were still recovering from their all-nighter.

'Goodnight Mam; I hope you have had a lovely Christmas Day and thank you so much for my present. I do love you, no matter what, and I always will.' Ella whispered as she and Elsie stood outside her room. Charlie had already said goodnight to his daughter and to Sybil, who had then parted for her own bedroom after wishing Elsie goodnight.

'And I love you Ella, very much.' Elsie replied as she placed a loving hand to her daughter's cheek.

It was clear to both Charlie and Sybil, that even though the mother and daughter no longer had any secrets from each other about their relationship, a lot of the pain that they had been trying so hard to abandon, still played a large part in their lives and was, in some ways, still as raw as ever.

After saying goodnight to each other, Elsie went into her bedroom to her husband, who was already in bed and on the verge of falling asleep and she didn't feel far behind him. She undressed quickly and climbed into bed beside him, where he wrapped her into a warm and loving hold and kissed her tenderly goodnight. They were so blissfully tired, that they barely had the energy to speak to each other, but Elsie was at least starting to feel the slightest bit more comfortable sharing her bed with someone.

Down the hall in Ella's room, Henry was also already in bed and he was sat up watching his wife get undressed and noticed that she seemed to wince a little as she did so.

'Are you quite alright darling?' He asked with concern.

'Yes I'm fine thank you; it's just that my back seems a little sore this evening, that's all and nothing to worry about. I'm sure that I will have plenty more of it to come over the next few months, won't I?' She replied as she then got into bed beside him and he wrapped his arm around her waist.

'Well if you're still in pain with it tomorrow, I'll nip down to the hospital and get you something.' He replied.

'It's not pain so much as discomfort; but I do wish you would stop worrying, everything is absolutely fine.' She replied as she cupped his cheek, but everything wasn't fine.

After a couple of hours of sleep, Ella was woken by pain worse than she'd had earlier, much worse. At first her mind was still fuzzy from sleep, but she quickly realised that the pain she had felt in her back earlier now felt to be in her lower stomach and seemed to be growing worse and then subsiding like waves. Then when she went to sit up, she felt something between her legs and she felt her heart jump into her mouth.

'Henry, Henry wake up!' She said urgently with a sleepy voice and was upset that her husband was still oblivious to what was going on, so she managed to lean over and give him an urgent shove, which startled him awake.

'Ella what is it?' He mumbled, still half asleep, but he was soon up and awake with her next words.

'Henry, I'm bleeding!'

**Oh no folks, that's the end of the story! Cruel, I know; but what will happen? Is Ella about to lose her baby? Will Mrs Patmore ever find out the truth about Ella and Elsie? Well you'll just have to wait until the next story to find out.**


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